Tri or recyclage? Sorting objects and recycling materials
Learn le tri, le recyclage, trier and recycler through a school paper project. Picture the materials, compare the stages and test recyclable versus recyclé.
In short
Le tri is sorting things into groups. Le recyclage is processing waste materials for use again. Trier les déchets describes separating the waste; recycler le papier describes recycling the paper. Sorting can prepare material for recycling.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
le tri / triersorting / to sort
Focus: separating items by category
trier + objects
Nous trions les déchets.
We sort the waste.
Je fais le tri dans mes papiers.
I sort through my papers.
le recyclage / recyclerrecycling / to recycle
Focus: turning waste material into material that can be used again
recycler + material
Cette usine recycle le papier.
This factory recycles paper.
Le recyclage du papier permet de fabriquer de nouvelles feuilles.
Paper recycling makes it possible to produce new sheets.
Name the materials first
Find:
These cards name objects and materials. For a bin instruction, look for les consignes de tri: the sorting instructions for that collection. The useful question is Dans quel bac faut-il mettre cet emballage ? — “Which bin should this packaging go in?”
- Maya
Qu’est-ce qu’on fait aujourd’hui ?
What are we doing today?
- Noé
On trie les papiers de la classe. On garde les feuilles encore utilisables.
We’re sorting the classroom papers. We’re keeping the sheets that can still be used.
- Maya
Et le reste ?
And the rest?
- Noé
On le prépare pour la collecte. Ensuite, le papier part dans une usine de recyclage.
We prepare it for collection. Then the paper goes to a recycling factory.
| Stage | French example |
|---|---|
| Collect | L’équipe collecte le papier. |
| Sort | Les élèves trient les feuilles. |
| Recycle | L’usine recycle le papier. |
| Reuse | Maya réutilise une feuille pour prendre des notes. |
Recyclable or recyclé?
Un emballage recyclable.
Packaging that can be recycled.
Un carnet en papier recyclé.
A notebook made of recycled paper.
Recyclable describes a possibility. Recyclé describes material that has already gone through recycling. The ending follows the noun: du papier recyclé, une boîte recyclée, des matériaux recyclés. Also remember that faire le tri goes beyond waste: faire le tri dans ses vêtements means sorting through your clothes.