From Discards to Masterpieces. The Art of Recycling in My Classroom

Recycling is one of the vital means of reducing garbage disposal and plays a crucial role in saving Mother Nature. We all know that it is the process of collecting, processing, and reusing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as waste. Instead of ending up in landfills or being burned, recyclable materials are transformed into new products.

As an educator who cares for Mother Earth, I feel responsible, in my own small way, to teach my students about conserving nature through recycling and proper waste management. This is also included in the curriculum across subject areas.

As a TLE teacher for grade 8 who took up handicraft exploratory, I let my students do recycling. And, good thing, these young people were resourceful and creative enough to create their masterpieces of recycled products. Lack of finances and lack of materials, yet they made it.

Most of them used plastic bottles and plastic cellophane in making their recycled products. It was good since nowadays the world is facing so many problems with these materials, as they are the materials that have the highest percentage of waste.

There was a pouch made of a plastic bottle, flowers made of cellophane, and flowers made of plastic bottles.

Tin cans were made into a drumset, and a glass jar was made into a candle holder or a lantern. Small sardine cans were made into an organizer or pen holder.

There were also recycled products made with paper. A paper notebook organizer, a paper pen holder, a paper flower, and a paper wall decorative.

But nothing beats the creativity of this rice sack gown made by my gay student. He made an elegant and beautiful long gown with a stunning headdress using rice sacks. He even wore it and made his cat walk inside the classroom. It was impressive. I loved his confidence and creativity.

Other handicraft works we had was giftwrapping, which students also made their own ideas of giftwrapping using different materials. It was also a form of recycling.

Another activity they enjoyed was crossstitching. They made simple crossstitch designs that even boys enjoyed. The school year was ended with so much productivity and skills.

Recycling is more than just reusing waste. It is a way of nurturing creativity, resourcefulness, and responsibility among the youth. As an educator, I believe that teaching recycling not only helps protect the environment but also instills life skills, discipline, and appreciation for what we already have. Seeing my students transform simple discarded materials into beautiful, useful, and even artistic creations gives me hope that the next generation will continue to care for Mother Earth in their own unique ways.