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Moshe Runs the Recycling

Ages 6-9 | Story and 9 activities

On Sunday night, Moshe's father calls a family meeting.

"We're going to start a new job system," says Totty. "Everybody gets a regular job around the house. Something that's just theirs."

"What kind of jobs?" asks Moshe's older sister Rivky.

"Setting the table. Watering the plants. Taking out the recycling. We'll pick one each."

Moshe's eyes go to the blue bin in the corner of the kitchen. Taking out the recycling means carrying the heavy bin to the curb every Tuesday night. It means checking to make sure the cans and bottles are separated. It sounds like a lot of work.

"I'll set the table," says Rivky.

"I'll water plants," says their little sister Esty.

Moshe takes a breath. "I'll do the recycling."

Everyone looks at him. "Really?" asks Totty.

"Yeah," says Moshe. He doesn't know why he said it. But the word is out.

On Tuesday evening, he drags the blue bin out of the garage. It rattles and clanks. A can rolls off the top and bounces down the driveway.

"Oops!" He runs after it, tosses it back in, and pushes the bin down to the curb.

He stands there for a moment, a little out of breath. The streetlamps are coming on. Lined up down the block, the neighbors' bins sit in neat rows.

Not bad, he thinks.

The next Tuesday, he does it again. But he forgets to check the bin, and when the recycling truck comes, it leaves a note: Please remove glass bottles from paper bin.

Moshe is embarrassed. "I messed up."

"Not really," says Totty. "You learned something. Now you know. What would help you remember?"

Moshe thinks. "A checklist."

He makes a little sign on a piece of cardboard and tapes it to the inside of the garage door. Paper here. Cans here. Glass here. He draws a little smiley face at the bottom.

The week after that, he sorts everything perfectly. The truck takes it all without leaving a note.

He starts to notice things. Pizza boxes are not recyclable if they have grease. Milk cartons go in with the cans. The more he learns, the more he feels like an expert.

"Moshe, can I ask you something?" says Rivky one night, holding up a yogurt cup. "Does this go in?"

"Rinse it first," says Moshe. "Then yes."

Rivky rinses it. "You know a lot about this."

Moshe stands up a little straighter. "It's my job."

By the end of the month, his neighbor, Mrs. Greenberg, stops him at the curb. "Is that your family's bin? It's always so tidy. You wouldn't believe how many people mess it up."

"Thank you," says Moshe, glowing.

At the next family meeting, Totty goes around the table. "What's something you're proud of this week?"

Rivky says she has set the table without being reminded. Esty says her plants have a new leaf.

"I'm proud that I haven't missed a Tuesday," says Moshe. "And that I know what goes where."

Totty smiles. "I'm proud of all of you. A job isn't just about the work. It's about knowing that people can count on you."

That night, Moshe stands by the kitchen window, looking at the blue bin out in the yard. It doesn't look like a chore anymore. It looks like his.