Think about the last thing you put in a bin today. A teabag? A bit of packaging? An empty jar?

Most of us were taught one rule growing up: throw it away. But there is no real "away". Everything we buy comes from somewhere, and everything we bin goes somewhere. In this lesson, you will follow one of your own everyday items through its life, and look at a week of your own household waste with fresh eyes. No guilt, no perfection, just a clearer picture.

Here are the four terms you will use in this lesson. They will come up again in the activity, so it is worth a quick read now.

The standard household bin colours in Ireland are green for clean dry recyclables, brown for food and garden waste, and black (or grey) for general waste. Some areas also have a separate glass collection or bottle banks.

This step has three short parts:

1. Linear vs circular. A quick walk-through of the take-make-waste model versus the circular economy.
2. Follow one item. Pick something you own, like your phone, a t-shirt or a takeaway coffee cup, and trace its lifecycle.
3. Sort your own week. Use the waste sorting tool to think through a typical week of your own household waste, and pick three items you could refuse, reuse or repair instead of binning.

Take your time. There is no right answer to find, only a clearer view of your own home.

Take a quiet minute with these prompts. There is nothing to type or save here, just to notice.

If you want to go a step deeper, here are three optional extras:

• Find your nearest civic amenity site or recycling centre. Most local authorities run one. They take items the kerbside bins do not, like paint, large electricals, mattresses and garden waste.
• Check your bin collector's leaflet. The leaflet that comes with your bill is the most reliable source for what goes in your green bin in your specific area. Pin it inside a kitchen cupboard.
• Do a one-week "refuse" test. Pick one thing to refuse for seven days, for example bagged shopping, single-use cups, or unsolicited junk mail (a No Junk Mail sticker for the letterbox is free and works).