The Waste Cycle covers the entire life cycle from beginning to end - and back again - for a truly big-picture look at how things are sourced, made, used and then trashed and/or recycled into new materials. Plastic plates made from pig pee? Drinkable wastewater? Strange (and gross!) but soon-to-be true! Divided into 9 chapters, The Waste Cycle explores the life cycle of a different raw material a kid might typically tote in his or her backpack on any given school day (water, food, clothing, paper, plastics, metals and electronics.) The application of each raw material is presented as a 'recipe,' with each component itemized to reveal the big picture, e.g., what goes into making (and subsequently recycling) a basic cotton T-shirt, a PET plastic water bottle or a cell phone. Two additional chapters explore the ultimate closed loop system setting of space, and the concept of zero waste. Back matter includes glossary, select bibliography and other information resources, and index.