Yeah.

Let's hit it!

Whoo!

(Ellen) So this is where all of the recyclables come after it's picked up at your house.

Then they have to separate the materials out so that they can actually sell the materials.

So this is what happens with the material.

The trucks will bring it in.

They're just going to scoop up the material.

dump it in that, and the conveyor belt will bring it up.

(Mackenzie) That is so cool!

(Ellen) Do you guys want to check out the line and see how it works?

(SciGirls) Sure!

(Izzie) Wow!

Look at all that garbage!

Well, I mean, recyclables!

♪ ♪ (loud clatter) We got to throw glass against the wall.

That was really fun!

♪ ♪ We got to sort on one of them conveyor belts, and it was a little challenging.

It was kind of hard to keep up with.

Now I see why they have 2 spots, one in the front, one in the back.

I could totally do that for a living.

I know, that was so fun, so fun.

What do you guys see the most in this pile?

(SciGirl) Jugs.

(Ellen) So your milk containers; number 2-- high density polyethylene.

This is milk cartons made into lumber.

From a distance, it looks just like regular wood, right?

It'll last for 20, 30 years.

You'll never have to paint it.

Your school had a lot of yogurt containers, right?

Yeah.

That plastic is a number 5 plastic.

Yeah, we have a question about that.

When you have a plastic such as 1 and 2, there's a material that can be made from it.

This is creating a market for number 2 plastic.

Number 5 plastics; right now, there's not a lot of options.

That would be a really awesome thing for you guys to try to solve and create a market.

We came up with an idea.

You could use yogurt container cups.

We're going to put soil mixed with compost, and we were going to make a flowerpot.

Should we check out the finished compost?

Yeah.

I want you to take off your gloves.

Well, this is trash?

It "was" waste.

(Peri) Why are you touching it?!

(Ellen) Now, look at this beautiful soil-- because you can totally touch it!

(Izzie) Wow, dig in SciGirls.

Dig in!

Whoa!

I got a huge compost plug!

We saw some compost soil.

It was so rich!

It actually helps your plants grow?

(Ellen) Yeah, it's supernutrient.

It's definitely a better use than putting it into landfills.

(Mackenzie) Oh my gosh!