Requirements:

For Girl Scout Brownies A patch program for troops or groups who are interested in learning about recycling. Complete four (4) of the following six (6) sets of activities, including the required Taking Action component.

Junk Collector: Learn how to save and store five different types of recyclable materials. Find out how these recyclable products are used and if you could recycle these materials in your community. Visit a recycling center to see the process of collecting and sorting useable products if possible. Help advertise a recycling project by making posters, etc.

Trash Watcher: Did you know that we each produce 4.5 pounds of garbage per day? Try this experiment: Check out how much trash you throw away each day. Set aside a box – call it a “trash watch box.” For one day, put all your trash in that box, putting food and “yucky” stuff in a plastic bag first. At the end of the day, lay out all the trash on a newspaper and see what you have. Make a list and ask yourself, “What could I have recycled? What could I have repaired, reused, or given away?” Try it again in a month and see if you can do better!

Paper Saver: How many times do you use just one side of a piece of paper and then throw it away? Start a “scrap paper box” in your home. Place all one-side-used paper in it. Get the whole family in on the project. Then use the scrap paper for drawing, grocery lists, etc. You’ll want to save unused business reply envelopes, too. They’re handy for sending money to school or carrying important documents. All the while you’ll be saving trees and cutting down on garbage!

Fast Food Trash Detective: Buy lunch at a fast food restaurant. Save all the wrappings, cups, napkins, plastic silverware, straws, cartons, etc. Take it all home and write down how much garbage you got with your meal. How much of it is recyclable? Try a different restaurant next time and order the same lunch. Compare the two. Wouldn’t you rather eat somewhere that doesn’t give you all that trash?

Use it Again... and Again... and Again...: Keep a cloth towel by the sink and use that instead of paper towels. Make a “Rag Bag” by putting a grocery bag under the sink or in the kitchen closet. Put old clothes in it and you’ll have a supply of rags handy for messy chores. Wash them up and use them again! Save plastic bags and aluminum foil, and use them again. Wipe them off if they’re a little bit messy and hang them up to dry. Put leftovers in reusable plastic food containers instead of using plastic wrap. Use a lunch box to take lunch to school...or if you use a bag, bring the bag home and use it again!

Get Growing: Start a garbage gardening project by cutting the tops off carrots, sweet potatoes or pineapples. Stick toothpicks into the top so that half of it will sit in a jar of water. When your plants have roots, plant them in pots of dirt.

Take Action *Required* Help your troop plan and carry out a recycling project (example: arrange to collect newspapers and take them to a recycling center). Help advertise and promote the project by making posters and flyers, talking to the neighbors, etc.