Draft storyAt the primary school

Buddy and the colour puzzle

Bin colours are different in different places. Check your own council.

A draft: the words and pictures are waiting for an educator’s review.

Buddy was helping Isla prepare a puzzle for the next class. They spread four bin pictures across the table: blue, green, brown and charcoal.

“Four colours,” said Buddy. “Plenty of clues!”

Zara leaned closer. “What do we put where?”

“We’ll work out the answers together,” said Buddy.

Zara picked up the green bin picture and glanced at the blue one.

“Whose bins are these?” she asked.

“The ones in the pictures,” said Buddy.

“But where are they?”

Buddy looked at their green body and blue lid.

“My lid and body already disagree!”

Isla smiled. “Zara’s found a question our pictures haven’t answered.”

Malik joined them and opened a guide. Beside the bin pictures were cards showing a tin, a jar and paper.

“For bins at home, start with the item,” he said. “Then check your council’s current instructions for the right container. Colour alone doesn’t give the whole answer.”

Zara studied the cards. “So our next class needs instructions too.”

Isla brought out a cream mat.

“Let’s try two rounds,” she said. “These are picture cards, and the mat is a space for our game. We aren’t sorting real rubbish.”

She left the coloured bin pictures together, away from the mat.

“First round: put the tin picture on the mat. Leave the jar and paper pictures beside the mat.”

Practice game only

We are moving pictures in a practice game. Isla’s words are game instructions, not advice about real bins. The cream mat isn’t a bin.

Zara chose the tin picture and placed the card on the mat.

The jar and paper pictures stayed beside the mat.

“I didn’t need a bin colour,” she said. “I needed your instruction.”

Malik nodded. “Now listen for the next round.”

“Second round,” said Isla. “Put the jar picture on the mat. Leave the tin and paper pictures beside the mat.”

Zara moved the tin picture aside and put the jar picture on the mat.

She looked across at the four coloured bin pictures.

“Same colours. Different answer!”

“What changed?” asked Isla.

“The instruction,” said Zara. “Guessing from a colour wouldn’t tell me which round we were playing.”

Buddy looked from the four pictures to Isla’s guide.

“We’ll leave clear instructions for the next class,” they said.

“And for bins at home?” asked Isla.

“Check our own council’s current guide with a grown-up,” said Zara. “Even when a bin looks familiar.”

Buddy straightened their blue lid.

“Good. I was worried I’d need repainting.”

For grown-ups

Gullbrae is made up. This practice game shows following the instruction that applies, not a real recycling system, and the cream mat is not a bin. For household waste, check the item and your own council’s current instructions for the right container. Colour helps you recognise a container once you know what it is for, but it isn’t enough on its own. Schools and businesses have their own collection arrangements and instructions.