Solid Waste/Recycling

(Adapted from Earth Day 1990: Lesson Plan and Home Survey - K-6,

Stanford University)

GRADE LEVELS: 4-6

SUBJECT AREAS: social studies, home economics, math

CONCEPT: Stimulate thought on what we throw away.

OBJECTIVE: To see what percentage of waste is packaging.

MATERIALS:

KEYWORDS: precycling, recycling

BACKGROUND: When we throw away garbage, it usually ends up in a landfill. Landfill space is getting increasingly scarce, and every time we throw something away we throw with it the energy, the money, the raw materials, and the water it took to make it.

The average American throws away 4 pounds of garbage per day. In 1990, it is estimated that Americans will throw away over 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, more than 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, over 4 and a half million tons of office paper and nearly 10 million tons of newspaper. Almost all of this material could be recycled.

Recycling saves large amounts of energy. Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to light a100-watt light bulb for four hours. Recycling one soda can saves as much energy as if the can were half full of gasoline.

When waste products are recycled, fewer raw materials are used. Americans threw away 35 billion aluminum cans last year - we threw away enough aluminum to build an entire air fleet four times over. Recycling paper reduces the pressure on our forests for wood pulps.

PROCEDURE:

Collect a variety of household items that are thrown into the garbage. Try to include items which could be used again, such as paper grocery bags, aluminum foil, and things which create "instant" garbage such as disposal diapers and overpackaged products. Also include items which could be recycled, such as newspapers or glass jars.

Introduce the notion of reuse by displaying a variety of household items which are frequently thrown into the garbage but could be used for other purposes. Ask students to describe uses for each of these household products. Survey the class by holding up each item and asking for a show of hands if the item could probably be found in their garbage at home.

Tell the class that, in order to reduce the amount of garbage we produce, some of the items could be used again and some could be "replaced" at the store by purchasing other products in the first place. For example, nondisposable items produce less garbage than items made to be used only once. Explain to the students that when we use an item more than once (for the same or different use) we call it re-using. Recycling is remaking a product.

Students will take home a set of questions (the Home Recycling Survey) to be answered by them and at least one family member.

FOLLOW-UP:

Discuss the following questions:

• What items can be found in the garbage in most of our households?
• Are any of the items used again (reused) in most of our households?
• If so, what are they used for?
• Does our town have a place where people can take items to be recycled?
• If so, have any of you ever been there? What kinds of things did you take to be recycled?
• Where do most of the people we surveyed think our garbage goes once it leaves our homes?
• What are some ways that you might reduce the amount of garbage in your home?
  

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Home Recycling Survey

1. Put X's by the items that go into your garbage:

___ cans (aluminum and/or tin)
___ glass bottles
___ paper
___ aluminum foil
___ styrofoam (containers or packaging materials)
___ cardboard
___ disposable diapers
___ plastic containers
___ newspapers
___ grocery bags (paper or plastic)
___ egg cartons
___ batteries
___ clothing
___ catalogs and magazines

2. Which items (of those listed above) could be recycled - by you or someone else?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

3. Does your town or city have a place to recycle any of these items?

___ Yes ___ No ___ I don't know

4. Where does your garbage go once it leaves your house? (Draw a picture or explain in words.)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

5. What are the benefits and drawbacks of recycling to your family?

Benefits:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Drawbacks:
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

6. List five products commonly purchased by your family that produce "instant garbage". They may come packaged in such a way that you throw away packaging as soon as you open them or they may be disposable so that you throw them away after using them only one time. Can you think of any alternatives to these products?

Instant garbage Possible alternative

_________________________ ___________________________

_________________________ ___________________________

_________________________ ___________________________

_________________________ ___________________________

_________________________ ___________________________

7. How does reusing things help the environment?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

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