Bring something out of the bin
A clean jar, a bottle lid or an odd sock is a better starting point than a poster about waste. Pass the object around and ask what else it could become. Students quickly move from the obvious answers to the inventive ones, and that is exactly the thinking a good story or a practical argument needs.
Follow the object into a story
For the narrative task, an old object finds a completely new use. Encourage students to give it a history as well as a future: who used it before, and why was it about to be thrown away? A story told from the object’s point of view can be a playful challenge for confident writers.
Make one practical change
For the persuasive task, students choose one plastic item and argue for a better replacement. Keep the choice small and specific. “Use less plastic” is hard to argue well; “bring a reusable bottle on sports day” gives students something concrete to explain, with examples their reader will recognise from school life.
Revise like you recycle
Recycling Week is a natural moment to talk about revision as giving writing a second life. Ask students to choose one sentence that is not working yet and rebuild it from its useful parts. Sharing the before-and-after versions shows the class that rewriting is not starting again, but making better use of what is already there.
