The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) announces the release of "Wear It? Recycle It! " a newly created curricula of grade-appropriate educational materials which present information on clothing and other textiles as a recyclable product. The lessons show students that clothing and other textiles can be recycled just like items in their homes they currently recycle such as paper, plastic, glass and aluminum.
The supplemental lessons are a comprehensive program that teaches students they can recycle more than just their old jeans and t-shirts and that many items they use every day are made from recycled clothing and textiles. The free materials are being presented to more than 750,000 educators, 15 million students, and 20 million parents through the various outlets of the Education Center, which developed the program in conjunction with SMART.
The online, downloadable curricula include six (6) grade-specific lesson plans teaching "Donate, Recycle, Don't Throw Away", a fact-filled infographic to supplement the lessons, a take-home piece for parents, and a poster contest. The Poster Contest will award one winner in grades K-2 and one winner in grades 3-5 with ten (10) t-shirts and ten (10) posters featuring their winning poster design.
There is also a "Wear It? Recycle It!" sweepstakes for teachers who can win a $500 classroom grant. Additionally, five runners-up each will win a $100 classroom grant. The curricula will be used by teachers to complement existing lesson plans and incorporates core school subjects such as math and science while students are learning about the world's first recyclable product, clothing and textiles. The curricula also addresses the Common Core State Standards that all teachers are required to satisfy, so it will be useful and relevant for years to come.
"These lessons are a creative and highly-effective program which teachers will enjoy bringing into their classrooms. The curricula not only supports the overall educational effort of the teachers, it also delivers an impactful message to the students which encourages the recycling of clothing and textiles," says Jackie King, Executive Director of SMART. "People don't realize that 95% of all clothing and textiles can be recycled or processed for re-use as another product."
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) is an international nonprofit trade association that strengthens the economic opportunities of its diverse membership by promoting the interdependence of our industry segments and providing a common forum for networking, education and trade.
