The poem describes Mrs. Cole giving various recycled items to the speaker over 12 days, with a different number of items corresponding to the day of recycling. On each successive day, Mrs. Cole provides magazines, plastic bags, paper cups, bottle caps, pop cans, paper napkins, cardboard boxes, empty milk jugs, piles of paper, food containers, plastic bottles, and finally plastic containers.

1. The 12 Days of Recycling By Colin

2. On the 1st day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – a whole mess magzines

3. On the 2nd day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 2 plastic bags

4. On the 3rd day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 3 paper cups

5. On the 4th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 4 bottle caps

6. On the 5th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 5 pop cans

7. On the 6th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 6 paper napkins

8. On the 7th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 7 cardboard boxs

9. On the 8th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 8 empty milk jugs

10. On the 9th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 9 piles of paper

11. On the 10th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 10 food containers

12. On the 11th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 11 plastic bottles

13. On the 12th day of recycling, Mrs. Cole gave to me – 12 plastic containers