Polyester, a clothing material made from recycled plastic, is just one example of a recycled material, said Pitt County's recycling coordinator, Paula Clark, who spoke to the class. Clark began outreach services to elementary and middle schools last year. Clark's lesson also taught the children about what items residents can recycle in Pitt County at the Eastern Carolina Vocation Center, including two types of plastics, glass, newspapers, paperboard, aluminum and tin. While passing out various recyclable items to the class, Clark showed the students how to look for signs a product is recycled or recyclable. Usually the item will contain a triangle with a number to indicate what type of recyclable material it is, she said.
Some items are more obvious.
Clark asked one child how he knew the aluminium Diet Coke can he was holding is recyclable. There is a misconception that recycled goods are not as good as new products, Clark said while walking around the room with two identical tubes filled with green and white beads of plastic. One contained recycled material and the other new material. Clark said there is little difference in the beads and that products made from each are equally as good. Products like polyester.