Emma moved to a new apartment last week. She was excited about her new neighborhood. On Monday morning, she took her trash bag outside. She saw five different colored bins in the courtyard. 'Which bin should I use?' she asked herself. An elderly man walked by and noticed her confusion. 'You must be new here,' he said with a friendly smile. 'Yes, I moved in last week,' Emma replied. The man introduced himself as Hans, her neighbor from the third floor. 'Let me explain the recycling system,' Hans offered. He pointed to the first bin, which was blue. 'The blue bin is for paper and cardboard,' he explained. 'Newspapers, magazines, and boxes go in there.' Emma nodded and looked at the next bin. The second bin was yellow. 'This one is for plastic packaging,' Hans said. 'Bottles, containers, and plastic bags go here.' 'But make sure they are empty and clean,' he added. The third bin was green. 'Green is for glass bottles and jars,' Hans continued. 'Remove the lids before you throw them in.' Emma was starting to understand the system. The fourth bin was brown. 'The brown bin is for organic waste,' Hans explained. 'Food scraps, fruit peels, and coffee grounds belong here.' 'This waste becomes compost for gardens,' he added proudly. Finally, Hans pointed to the fifth bin, which was black. 'The black bin is for everything else that cannot be recycled.' 'Try to use this one as little as possible,' Hans said. Emma thanked Hans for his help. 'There is one more thing,' Hans said. 'Each bin has a specific collection day.' He gave Emma a small calendar with all the dates. 'Paper is collected on Monday, plastic on Wednesday,' he explained. 'Glass is picked up every two weeks on Friday.' Emma looked at her trash bag. She realized she had mixed everything together. 'I need to sort this at home,' she said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Hans laughed kindly. 'Everyone makes mistakes at the beginning,' he said. Emma went back to her apartment with her trash bag. She put four small bins in her kitchen for sorting. She labeled them with different colors. The first week was difficult. Emma often had to think about which bin to use. But after a month, it became a natural habit. She felt proud that she was helping the environment. One day, a new neighbor moved into the building. Emma saw him standing confused in front of the bins. She smiled and walked over to him. 'You must be new here,' Emma said. 'Let me explain the recycling system.' Now Emma was the helpful neighbor. She remembered how Hans had helped her. The new neighbor was grateful for her explanation. Recycling had become an important part of Emma's daily routine. She learned that small actions can make a big difference. And she discovered that neighbors can become friends.
English Story (A2)Recycling Rules
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Emma moves to a new apartment and is confused by the five colored recycling bins in her building. Her neighbor Hans explains the system: blue for paper, yellow for plastic, green for glass, brown for organic waste, and black for everything else. After learning the rules and collection days, Emma sorts her waste at home. A month later, recycling becomes a natural habit. When a new neighbor arrives, Emma pays it forward by explaining the system, just as Hans did for her.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What color is the bin for paper and cardboard?
2
What did Hans give Emma after explaining the bins?
3
What did Emma put in her kitchen to help with sorting?
4
What happened when a new neighbor moved into the building?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
