Topic: National Recycling Week

In this funny and insightful talk, builder Dan Phillips tours us through a dozen homes he's built in Texas using recycled and reclaimed materials in wildly creative ways. Brilliant, low-tech design details will refresh your own creative drive.

As part National Recycling Week Planet Ark is inviting schools, councils and community groups to participate in the Big Aussie Swap by hosting a Swap Party. This video shows you all you need to know to make your Swap Party a success.

Less than 10% of plastic trash is recycled -- compared to almost 90% of metals -- because of the massively complicated problem of finding and sorting the different kinds. Frustrated by this waste, Mike Biddle has developed a cheap and incredibly energy efficient plant that can, and does, recycle any kind of plastic.

Plastic bottles are very common to find washed up along beach coasts and rivers. In the 2010, Clean Up Australia Day, 1 in 10 items found where related to 'plastic drinking bottles'.

Explore what happens after you put your bottles and paper in the recycling bin.

To conserve our natural resources such as metal, oil and water, recycling is a great way to do so. Plastic ware, such as plastic bottles and bags are two of the highest discarded non-recyclables around.

Learn what happens to a humble pair of jeans from growing the cotton to finding a new life.

Did you know that plastic bags are made from non-renewable natural resources such as oil, gas and coal. However plastic bags are recyclable, and as there is an estimation of 1 trillion bags being used and discarded each year, we need to start recycling the ones we have, and stop further production.

How is plastic made? How is paper made? Find out the manufacturing process of renewable and non-renewable resources.

Can you think of things you can do in your classroom that will help to reduce waste?

Learn how these students manage the various types of waste thats produced in their school.

Did you know that 75% of all aluminium produced around the world since 1886 is still in use today? Learn about the aluminium cycle and how to 'close the loop'.

What happens to your aluminium can once you have recycled it? Find out by watching this video.

Bentleigh West Primary School's video produced in association with Closed Loop for the ARC competition in 2012.

Costa shows how to get school kids involved in reducing waste and creating a valuable resource, with an engaging educational tool.

Stop chemical pollution. The chemicals we use end up in our water.

The Japanese company Blest has developed one of the smallest and safest oil-to-plastic conversion machines out on the market today. It's founder and CEO, Akinori Ito is passionate about using this machine to change the way people around the world think about their plastic trash.

The Patch is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge and other debris that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre.[2] Despite its size and density, the patch is not visible from satellite photography, since it consists primarily of suspended particulates in the upper water column.

A competition where less is more. A couple attempt to stop buying stuff and produce zero waste for a year.

The Clean Water Act took effect 41 years ago. In 1972, stormwater pollution was nowhere near a top priority. Today, it's taken the lead as the top water contaminator. How bad is it? Puget Sound diver Laura James takes us where nobody wants to go -- inside a stormwater outfall -- to get an upclose look.

Many people in many developing countries seek out clean drinking water with much difficulty. But developed nations spend billions of dollars buying bottled water even though their respective countries provide clean drinking water from the tap.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also described as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is a gyre of marine debris in the central North Pacific Ocean located roughly between 135°W to 155°W and 35°N and 42°N.[1]

Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang have been collecting plastic debris off one beach in Northern California for over ten years. Each piece of plastic Richard and Judith pick up comes back to their house, where it gets cleaned, categorized and stored before being used for their art.