Does trash last forever?

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Olga Kostina had a plain wooden house. She decided to decorate it herself—using something that other people just throw away. Do you have any idea what she used?

Did you notice that the patterns are made of brightly colored spots? Each spot is a colorful plastic bottle cap! Olga used over 30,000 bottle caps to decorate her house.

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Up close, this looks like just a bunch of bottle caps—7,000 bottle caps, in fact. But watch what this artist makes. When you stand back, your eye blends the colors together to make a picture!

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Plastic melts when it’s heated! You can squish that warm goo into any shape. When it cools, it hardens. Think like an inventor. What is something useful you could make from plastic goo?

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People have melted plastic trash and transformed it into furniture, into the shapes of bowls, plates, skateboards, and more! You can still see round spots on the skateboard from melted bottle caps!

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Using a tool that blows out hot air, this African artist melts colorful plastic bags. He melts them onto a board and it looks like paint! Rather than being trash in a dump, the plastic bags become art!

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Most beaches are made of sand and pebbles. This beach has sand, pebbles, and colorful bits that sparkle in the sun. What do you think those bits are made of? Where did they come from?

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Years ago, glass factories dumped thousands of broken bottles on this beach. The glass pieces became rounder as they tumbled in waves. But there are other ways to turn beach trash into treasure...

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Some artists collect plastic trash from beaches. With this trash, they create amazing sculptures. Taking plastic litter off the beach protects sea animals that can be harmed by it.

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What’s better than turning ocean trash into a boat? A community in Kenya, Africa, gathered hundreds of plastic sandals left on beaches. They melted that plastic and shaped it into a boat!

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This man is searching the dump for stuff to use in a special project. Watch what he’s doing. What do you think his project could be?

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These bands, called Junketra and the Taz Junk Band, make music with
instruments made of junk! Think like an inventor! What could you use
from the trash to make a musical instrument?

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You could play a tune on glass bottles from the trash. Put water in
the bottles to change the notes that they play. Make cardboard box
drums, plastic bag noises, and more! Use your imagination!

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Plastic bags are one of the worst kinds of litter. Animals eat them and get sick. The wind blows them everywhere. What a mess! Do you have any ideas on how to fix this problem?

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Isatou Ceesay had an idea. She made string from plastic bags, then made purses with the string! The women in her town in The Gambia, Africa, make purses to sell. No one throws plastic bags away now!

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Here are more useful things made of plastic bags! Imagine how the artists made each one.

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Think about all the ways people have made use of garbage. Now try to make something from trash from your home. You can make something new—and help the Earth by throwing less away.

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Voting for this episode is now closed. Would you like to vote on the most recent poll?

We pulled three questions from our jar. Which question do you want to explore?

Are any animals picky eaters?

-Evan, 4th Grade
Could a baseball pitcher throw faster than the wind?

-Colin, 2nd Grade
Why do some animals sleep during the day?

-Eliana, Kindergarten

Mini-lessons

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Does trash last forever?

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