Kwame decides that helping the people of the town isn't worth it and loses hope. Gaia tells him that his power is connected to hope, but Kwame cannot help but to see the situation in a pessimistic light... that is, until he sees the house of Katie - the young girl from the town they met earlier - cleaned up. Kwame goes to speak to Katie and she tells him that if a kid could do it, then so could anyone else but also informs him that the Planeteers were kidnapped. His hope renewed, he goes off to save his friends and stop Sludge's scheme.
We learn how important recycling is and why you should not throw trash on the streets and how it could lead to more people polluting the city. We also see how one trash bag can lead to everyone throwing their trash on the stretes.
Beakman explains the stats of how much waste is generated daily. He then describes what happens to the waste in the trash dump and why recycling is really good for the environment.