Recycling is often included in lists of things that can be done to mitigate climate change. Recycling is not a "bad" thing, but recycling alone is an insufficient response to the complex problems posed by climate change. This article takes the reader through the journey of an experienced teacher who began with a hopeful vision to include climate change in her school's programme, meandered through a myriad distracting recycling schemes, until she reached a deeper understanding of the barriers to climate change education and the role of emotions in these programmes. The article concludes with her three key lessons for future climate change curriculum projects.