Taking Charge of Waste — Class 3 EVS (CBSE)
From the current NCERT Our Wondrous World Grade 3 book, Unit 4: Things Around Us, Chapter 12. We all make waste — and we can all take charge of it.
1. Why this chapter matters
Every home makes waste every day. Learning to separate waste and to reduce, reuse, and recycle keeps our surroundings clean and healthy and protects nature. Taking charge of waste is everyone's job.
2. Key ideas
- Waste is what we throw away — old clothes, plastic wrappers, vegetable peels, broken toys.
- Waste is of two main kinds:
- Wet waste — vegetable peels, fruit scraps, dried leaves (it rots).
- Dry waste — plastic, glass, metal (it does not rot easily).
- Segregate (separate) waste: green dustbin for wet waste, blue dustbin for dry waste.
- Follow the 3Rs:
- Reduce — use less and avoid throwaway items.
- Reuse — use again (old clothes into quilts, old bottles for storage).
- Recycle — turn waste into new things.
- Waste left uncared for attracts pests, and burning it causes pollution. Cleanliness drives and clean places like Indore and the zero-waste village Silluk show how communities stay clean.
3. Let's understand
Look in any dustbin and you will find different kinds of waste — peels, wrappers, broken things. The first step in taking charge is to separate it. We put wet waste (vegetable peels, fruit scraps, dried leaves) in the green dustbin and dry waste (plastic, glass, metal) in the blue dustbin.
Then we follow the 3Rs. We reduce by using less and saying no to extra plastic. We reuse by giving things a second life — old clothes can become quilts, and old bottles can store things. We recycle by sending materials to be made into new products.
Why care so much? Waste left around attracts flies and pests, and burning it makes the air dirty. When people join cleanliness drives, neighbourhoods become clean and healthy. Clean cities like Indore and villages like Silluk show that, together, we can take charge of waste.
4. New words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| waste | things we throw away |
| segregate | to separate into groups (wet and dry) |
| reduce | to use less |
| reuse | to use again |
| recycle | to make new things from old materials |
5. Activity corner
For one day, watch the waste at home. Write:
- Two wet-waste items and two dry-waste items
- One thing you could reuse instead of throwing away
- One way your family could reduce waste
6. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Putting all waste in one bin. Fix: Separate wet waste (green bin) from dry waste (blue bin).
- Mistake: Burning waste to get rid of it. Fix: Burning causes pollution; reduce, reuse, recycle, and use dustbins instead.
- Mistake: Mixing up reduce, reuse, and recycle. Fix: Reduce = use less; Reuse = use again; Recycle = make into new things.
7. Let Us Think
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What are the two main kinds of waste? Wet waste (peels, scraps) and dry waste (plastic, glass, metal).
-
Which dustbin is for wet waste, and which for dry waste? Green dustbin for wet waste; blue dustbin for dry waste.
-
What are the 3Rs? Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
-
Give one example of reusing something. Making old clothes into a quilt, or using an old bottle for storage.
-
Why should we not burn waste? Because burning causes pollution and makes the air dirty.
8. Answer key
- Wet waste and dry waste.
- Green for wet; blue for dry.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
- Old clothes into a quilt (or old bottles for storage).
- Burning causes air pollution.
9. Quick revision
- Waste is what we throw away; it is wet or dry.
- Separate waste: green bin (wet), blue bin (dry).
- Follow the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
- Do not burn waste — it pollutes the air.
- Cleanliness drives and clean places like Indore and Silluk show the way.
Unit 4: Things Around Us
This chapter is part of Unit 4: Things Around Us. The three chapters in this unit are:
- Chapter 10: This World of Things
- Chapter 11: Making Things
- Chapter 12: Taking Charge of Waste
