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One day Sebastian and Magic were
playing ball out in front of Sebastian’s
house when Gilby came along.
“Where are you going Gilby?” asked Sebastian.
“I am going to the store to get some food,” replied Gilby. “I am out of carrots.” |
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“What do you have with you? asked Sebastian.
“This is my canvas grocery bag. I take it with me to the store and put my groceries in it so I don’t use a paper or plastic bags. I can use this over and over again,” replied Gilby.
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” said Magic. “Can we come to the store with you?”
“Sure,” said Gilby. “Let’s all go to the store.” |
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“Oh, look! Carrots!” exclaimed Gilby. “I love carrots.”
“Yes, and look, they come wrapped in individual packages so you can take them to school,” says Magic.
“No,” Gilby said. “I get a big bag and put them in reusable plastic containers to take to school. That way I am not creating more trash from unnecessary packaging. It costs less as well.” |
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“That’s a good idea,” said Sebastian.
“I do that same with my raisins and trail mix,” replied Gilby.
“I will have to start doing that with my cookies,” said Magic.
“Me too,” declared Sebastian. “Wow, look at all that wasteful packaging. That goes straight into the landfill.”
Do you remember what a landfill is? |
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“Let’s go over to the next aisle,” said Sebastian. “I need some batteries for my new toy.”
“Oh,” said Gilby. “They have some great rechargeable batteries here.”
“Rechargeable Batteries?” asked Magic.
“Yes; when they run out your put them in a recharger to charge them up so that they work again,” answered Gilby.
“It prevents waste and is better than throwing away toxic disposable batteries,” added Sebastian. |
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“I almost forgot,” said Magic. “I need to get napkins and paper towels.”
“Oh,” replied Gilby. “Make sure you get cloth napkins and towels. That way you can reuse them. It creates less trash and the less paper you use the less trees get cut down.”
“That is a really good idea,” said Magic. “I will get cloth napkins. Then I can wash them and reuse them.”
Do you know why trees are important? |
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“That’s great, Magic,” praised Gilby.
“Let’s get some water,” said Sebastian. “But I’m not going to get small plastic bottles of water, that’s for sure.”
“It is best to have a water filtration system at home to filter your tap water. Then you can use a hard plastic water bottle and refill it at home,” said Gilby. “But if you must buy water, buy a big bottle and refill your reusable bottle.”
“That creates less plastic waste since plastic doesn’t biodegrade,” added Magic.
Do you know what biodegrade means?
To break down and go back into the land. |
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“That was a fun trip to the store,” said Magic. “I learned a lot.”
“Yes,” said Sebastian. “It is easy to reduce the amount of packaging you buy so you don’t have to throw it away.”
“Small changes you make now can make a bid difference later,” said Gilby. “Together we can all make a
difference!” |
Where does paper come from?
What is a natural resource?
Name three things that biodegrade.
What can you do to reduce your waste?
What is your favorite food?
Can you buy it in a big bag instead of individually wrapped? |
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