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There is a lot of new vocabulary in this text. Make sure you look up the meaning of the words you do not know.

In Canada, recycling, composting, and waste reduction are important parts of environmental responsibility, with rules varying slightly by province and municipality. Generally, households are required to separate waste into three main streams: garbage, recycling, and organics (compost).

Recyclable items usually include paper, cardboard, plastic containers, glass bottles, and metal cans. However, plastic bags, styrofoam, and greasy food containers are often excluded. Items must be clean and sorted correctly to avoid contamination, which can cause entire batches to be sent to landfill.

Composting programs accept food scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and sometimes meat, bones, and paper napkins. Compostable materials are collected separately and processed into nutrient-rich soil used in agriculture and landscaping.

To reduce waste, Canadians are encouraged to avoid single-use plastics, shop with reusable bags, bottles, and containers, and buy in bulk. Communities have also begun banning styrofoam food containers and grocery bags.

Another growing environmental concern is fast fashion—cheap, mass-produced clothing that is quickly discarded. Fast fashion contributes significantly to textile waste and pollution, as most of these clothes are made from synthetic materials and end up in landfills. Choosing sustainable clothing options, shopping at thrift stores, and buying less can help protect the environment and reduce overall waste.

What do you think is the biggest environmental problem that you can fix easily?