Recycling Day by Polly Faber and Klas Fahlen
An engrossing book about the mechanics of what happens when we throw things away. When the trucks pick up the bins “a scrunching flap squeezes everything down”. There are different bins for different types of things that can be recycled, and separate ones for large and/or dangerous items.
Each type of recycled item is taken in turn, starting with glass:
“Crunched-up bottles and jars are loaded into a machine… moved along a belt where a magnet takes away any metal… melted and turned into new bottles or jars or even airport runways!”
Other trash can be burned to heat water, turn it into steam and help make electricity. Some will be buried, where it will – very slowly – decompose.
There are satisfying illustrations of various types of machinery, and the people who operate it. The information is specific enough to be enlightening (including for an adult) with only a few full lines of text per page, so as not to be too dense for young readers.
Recommended age: 4-5
