By Liberty A. Pinili

HAVE you ever wondered why malls put at least two trash cans in one corner—one labeled “biodegradable” and the other “non-biodegradable”?

Biodegradable and non-biodegradable are actually two different kinds of garbage.

Biodegradable materials are those that rot, like all kinds of food, paper, animal poop, plant leaves and other parts of plants and trees. Non-biodegradable wastes are those that do no rot like plastic, glass and metal.

Biodegradable stuff can be made into fertilizers to fatten the soil and make plants grow better. Non-biodegradable stuff can be reused or made into other useful things. For example, softdrink bottles can be cleaned and refilled or they can be smashed and heated up to make new bottles. Read the rest…

Jeneen Garcia / The Greenie Patch

photo from morguefile.com

Hello, kids! Last time we talked about how recycling can help prevent garbage from piling up in landfills. With chemicals and machines, recycling turns old stuff into something brand new.

Today, let’s find out Mother Nature’s own recipe for recycling organic wastes into fertilizer. You’ll discover it’s something each of us can do. Are you ready? Read the rest…

Jeneen Garcia / The Greenie Patch

Hello, kids! By now, your heads are probably full of all sorts of stuff taught to you by your teacher. Hmm…so do you still remember Teacher Earth and the 3Rs?

Right! The 3R’s are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle–three easy ways we can help keep our planet clean and healthy. Last month we talked about how to Reduce and Reuse. So this time, let’s talk about how to Recycle. Read the rest…

Jeneen Garcia / The Greenie Patch

Read the rest…

Jeneen Garcia / The Greenie Patch

Last month we started talking about the 3R’s we need to learn by heart. Nope, not reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic, as your grandparents might tell you. For Earth-lovers like us, the Big 3 are reduce, reuse and recycle.

Today, let’s see what the first R, reduce, is really about. Read the rest…