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Table of Contents
Introduct ion ................................. 1
Glossary ......................................... 5
Activit ies
Out o f Sight, Ou t of Mind
Part 1 My Ton of Trash ............ 6
Part 2 Class Trash .................... 7
Part 3 Trash or Treasure? ......... 8
Part 4 Cutting Class Trash ..... 10
Right in My HometownPart 1 Natu ra l Resources:
Han dle with Care .................... 11
Part 2 Biograp hy of
a Product ................................. 12
Where Has All The Ga rbage Gone?
Part 1 Making a
Mini-La nd fill ........................... 13
Part 2 Follow tha t
Garba ge! .................................. 14
Comp osting: A Great, Rotten Idea
Part 1 Is It Rotten ? .................. 16
Part 2 Readin , Rottin an d
Rithm etic: Cla ssroom
Composting ............................. 18
Is It A Waste?Part 1 All Wra pped Up .......... 20
Part 2 Wha ts the Appeal? . .. .. 21
Part 3 How man y Ways
Can You Wrap a n Apple? ... .. .. 22
Part 4 Packa ging, Is It A
Wa ste? ..................................... 22
Part 5 What Ca n I Do to
Cha nge Packaging? ................. 24
How Times Have Cha nged
Part 1 Wha t, No Video
Gam es? .................................... 26
Part 2 The Ga rba ge Guzzler
Strikes Again ............................ 27
The Cost of the Toss
Part 1 Decisions, Decisions .... 28
Part 2 Paying the True
Price of Pop .............................. 30
Tim e for Action .............................. 31
More Activity Ideas ........................ 32
Resources ..................................... 34
Recycling
Study Guide
PUB-CE-020 2003
IntroductionTo Educators
Is it your turn to ta ke out th e trash ? Pile your tra sh with a ll the food
scra ps, pa per, old ch a irs, bottles a n d oth er solid wa ste gen erated in Wis-
consin every year, a nd you get 4.6 m illion ton s of stuff.
Fortun a tely, we sta rted recycling in th e 1990s, a n d on e third of the trashwe genera te is recycled. Un fortun a tely tho ugh , the a m oun t of waste were
genera ting is growing twice as fa st a s our popu lation , an d ou r recycling
rate is not keeping up with th e increa sed gen eration of trash. Tha ts why
we need to teach kids abou t recycling a nd introduce them to the concept of
waste reduction.
This study guide is intended to h elp you a nd your studen ts un derstan d
wha t solid waste is, where it comes from , why its a prob lem a nd wha t can
be don e a bou t it. Th e guide includes an overview of solid waste an d recy-
cling, a glossary, suggested activities and a list of resources.
Consider ta lkin g with you r studen ts a bou t solid wa ste, recycling a n d wa ste
reduction before beginnin g your lessons to learn wha t they a lready kn ow
an d think a bout i t . Where are their trash an d recyclables taken ? Ha ve they
ever visited a lan dfill? Wha t did peop le do before there were pla stic ba gs,
alum inum can s or tra sh removal services? Do people in other countries
m a ke as m uch trash or recycle as mu ch a s Am erican s do? By finding ou t
your students thou ghts an d opinions, you can help them connect new
concepts with wh a t they a lready kn ow.
The a ctivities in this guide h a ve been design ed for use in gra des 4-12. We
also ha ve the K-3 Supp lem ent to the Recycling Study Guide, Waste Re-
duction : Thinkin g More About Less, a n d The Fourth R: An Action
Booklet for Recycling in the Classroom and School. We encourage you
to ta ilor th e a ctivities to m eet your studen ts n eeds. You a re welcome to
revise a n d/or reprodu ce an y pa rt of this guide for distribution to studen ts
an d other educators.
Note:
Words tha t app ear in italics are defined in th e glossa ry.
Sect ions marked with a re based on m a teria ls from A-Way W ith Waste
curriculum guide, a progra m of the Wa shington State Depa rtmen t of Ecology
(see Resources).
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Where does it all end up?
About 60% of Wisconsins trash or m un icipa l solid wa ste end s up in the
states 39 or so licensed m un icipa l la n dfills (down from 1,000 la n dfills in
1988). A landfill is a p lace where trash is dum ped, com pa cted a n d covered
with dirt. Covering th e trash controls blowing pa per, odors, insects an d ro-
den ts an d keeps wa ter out of the la ndfill. All of the licensed lan dfills in Wis-
consin a re sa nita ry la nd fills designed, bu ilt a nd opera ted a ccording to
state-of-the-art stan da rds to prevent pollution problem s.
The oth er 40% of our tra sh gets recycled, com posted or com busted with energy
recovered. Its taken from your house or a drop -off site to on e of the 150 or so
m a teria l recovery fa cilities throu gho ut th e state. Here cardboa rd, newspap er,
m a ga zines, office pa per, bottles a nd ca n s a re sorted an d sold to ma n ufactur-
ers wh o m a ke n ew produ cts out of th em . Tires, vehicle ba tteries, m otor oil
a nd m ajor app lia nces a re also recycled, an d a bout h alf the ya rd waste ism an aged a t hom e by people who lea ve gra ss clippings on their lawn an d
compostleaves an d h erbaceous plan ts.
Unfortun a tely, som e waste is still dum ped a long roa dsides, on the ba ck
forty or in oth er no n-a pproved location s. Except for hou seh old wastes dis-
carded on the ho m eowners property, it is illegal to d iscard or in cin erate gar-
bage, trash, ind ustria l wa ste, fa rm chem ica ls a n d other waste in p laces tha t
a rent ap proved by the state. Disca rding waste in u nsa fe ways a n d in non -
a pproved places can en dan ger the environm ent upon which we depend.
Thu s, each of us becomes responsible for wha t we throw a way a nd the im -
pa ct tha t this waste ma y ha ve on ou r environm ent.
Sizing up solid waste
People in Wisconsin throw ou t everythin g from toothp a ste tubes to old TV
sets, food scrap s to plastic bags, com pu ter gam es to oil filters. If you a dded u p
a ll the wa ste from you r hou se, from th e store where you shop ped a nd from
the restau ran t where you a te, it would am oun t to 4.7 pou nds per person of
m un icipal solid waste thrown into the tra sh every da y. Multiply tha t by 365
da ys per year, then by 5.4 m illion Wisconsin citizens, a nd your results wouldshow tha t Wiscon sin gen erates more tha n 4.6 m illion ton s of trash ea ch year!
This is called municipal solid waste.
4.6 m illion tons of trash is enou gh to pile a typica l city street three feet deep,
curb to curb, for 500 m iles m ore tha n the d istan ce from Sup erior to Chi-
cago! Or if comp ressed, the way it is in lan dfills, tha t m uch waste would bu ry
a 200-acre fa rm u nd er 28 feet of trash ea ch year.
The p revious informa tion covers m un icipal solid wa ste the residential a nd
comm ercial waste we person a lly produ ce every day. Anoth er category of
waste is ca lled n on -m un icipal wa ste or indu strial waste. Th is is the waste
indu stries, power plan ts a n d pa per mills genera te as they produce the prod-
ucts we use. It represents a bout 9 .31 poun ds per person per da y. The good
n ews is we recycle 49% of th e indu stria l waste we genera te.
So whats theproblem?
Over the la st th ree deca des, pu blic
a wareness of environm enta l prob-
lems has increased; stricter federal
regulations regardin g the siting,
construction, da ily opera tion, clo-sure an d post-closure mon itoring of
lan dfills ha ve been developed; an d
the a m oun t of m un icipal solid
waste generated in th e United
Sta tes h a s in crea sed a t a ra te fa ster
tha n ou r population growth. This
combin a tion of fa ctors ha s cau sed
the cost to operate a lan dfill to
increase, the nu m ber of la n dfills to
decrease and a subsequent shortage
in lan dfill cap a city in m a ny pa rts
of th e country.
The pu blic believes tha t we a re
run nin g ou t of spa ce for lan dfills.
Techn ica lly, we ha ve ma n y sites to
loca te modern , sa nita ry la nd fills
tha t will m eet sta te an d federal
requiremen ts. Th ese n ew sanitary
landfills a re designed to be clean
a nd to conta in a nd collect leachate
a nd methane gas tha t result from
the decomp osition oforganic mate-
rials or the gra dua l breakdown of
inorga nic ma teria ls. However, the
econom ics of lan dfill opera tion a nd
th e politics of lan dfill siting m a ke it
difficult to get n ew landfills built.
Nobody wa n ts a lan dfill loca ted
nea r them (see sidebar on The
NIMBY Phen om enon ), an d every-
one h a tes to pa y more for trash
disposal.
The am ount ofnatural resources we
throw away is anoth er part of the
solid waste problem th a t is not so
a ppa rent. Wisconsin s tra sh con-
tains enough energy to hea t over350,000 hom es a year, and even
though were recycling tons of met-
a ls, gla ss, plastic an d pa per, we are
still throwing a way a lot of valu-
a ble na tura l resources. We n eed to
m ove beyond recycling an d do
m ore to reduce waste before it is
produced.
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The NIMBYphenomenon
Finding pla ces to pu t lan dfills is no t
ea sy. Few peop le are ea ger to live
nea r a la ndfill, an attitude some-
times called the NIMBY ph enom -
en on Not In My Ba ck Ya rd!
Man y people believe lan dfill con -
struction a n d opera tion result in
tra ffic, noise, dust, litter, aesthetic
loss, declining property values,
groundwater contam ination a nd
other h aza rdous waste pollution.
While fears m a y ha ve been justified
in th e pa st, m odern la nd fill design,
construction a nd ma na gement can
m inimize mo st of these problems.
Unfortun a tely, the NIMBY ph enom -
enon a lso a pp lies to the siting of
recycling centers a n d m un icipa l
com posting facilities.
Wisconsins Trash Tally for 2000
Mater ia l
Ca teg o ry Gen era ted Recyc led 1 Trash
Residential & Com m ercial wa ste2
Newspa per 261,710 177,780 83,930
Corruga ted con ta iners 661,580 484,370 177,210
Ma ga zin es 74,850 23,760 51,090
High gra de office pa per 159,710 47,490 112,220
Mixed wa ste pa per 577,880 183,820 394,060
Alum inum bevera ge ca n s 32,950 18,400 14,550
Steel ca ns 55,310 30,380 24,930
Pla stic con ta iners 70,730 30,370 40,360
Gla ss con ta iners 191,270 112,280 78,990
Ya rd trim m in gs 538,380 476,040 62,340
Food wa ste 663,860 6,500 657,360
Disposa ble dia pers 57,450 1,530 55,920Veh icle ba tteries 38,530 37,370 1,160
Tires 97,260 92,4003 4,8604
Ma jor a pplia n ces 71,310 67,750 3,5604
Other wa ste 1,096,470 87,730 1,008,740
To ta l 4 ,649 ,250 1 ,877 ,970 2 ,771 ,280
Industrial Waste 2 9 ,115 ,100 4 ,468 ,230 4 ,6 46 ,870 5
Total Sol id Waste 2 13 ,7 64 ,350 6 ,3 46 ,200 7 ,418 ,150
1 Includes materials recycled and materials combusted with energy recovery.2 Estimate in tons. Source: Franklin Associates, LTD.3 Includes 41,110 tons in temporary storage or shipped out of state4 Estim a te a t
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Wiscon sin a lready reuses, recycles,
com posts or recovers en ergy from
a lmost 40% (by weigh t) of its resi-
dential an d comm ercial waste each
year a nd 49% of its in dustria l waste
(tha t figure wou ld increase to 62%if you a dd th e 1,167,300 tons of
municipal waste water sewage
sludge tha t is land spread a nn u-
a lly). Th is redu ces the n eed for
lan dfill spa ce, sa ves the cost of
disposal an d reuses valua ble na tu-
ra l resources. The Recycling La w
reaffirms the sta tes com m itmen t to
reduce the volum e of disca rded
item s by providing th e followin g list
of option s for m a na ging solid
waste. Th e options a re in order
from m ost to least desirab le.
1. Reduce the q ua ntity of wa ste
produ ced. For exa m ple, some prod-
ucts a nd pa ckaging a re designed to
use less m a terial, to be recyclab le or
to contain fewer ha zardous chem i-
cals. We can produce less waste
throu gh selective shopp ing. Also,
we can encourage reduction by
expressing ou r views abou t prod-
ucts a nd p a ckaging to reta ilers,
industry an d governm ent.
2. Reuse items. Soda bottles, old
furniture, clothes, tires, appliances
a nd a utom obiles or their parts,
industrial shipping containers (bar-
rels, pa llets, cardboa rd boxes) an d
m an y more items ca n be reused.
3. Recycle. For instance, recycled
newspa per ca n be m ade into news-
print, pa per ba gs, cellulose insula-
tion, egg cartons, a nim al bedding
or cardboa rd. Glass and a luminu m
from beverage conta iners can be
m ad e into new conta iners. Cookingoils and m eat fats can be m a de into
chem ica ls a nd cosm etics, coal a sh
into shingles and concrete and
plastic bottles into artificial lumber,
carpeting a n d winter ja ckets.
4. Compost organ ic wastes. Ga rden-
ers know both the ease an d the
value of comp osting food a nd yard
wastes to create rich h um us tha t
improves soil fertility and texture.
What else can we do with waste?
Som e bu sinesses also can comp ost
their organ ic wa stes. For exa m ple,
cheese whey, organic sludge from
pa per mills an d sewage trea tmen t
plan ts an d rema ins from processing
or clean ing fish can be comp osted.
5. Incinera tion of waste with energy
recovery. Ea ch ton of solid waste
ha s the en ergy equiva lent of 70
ga llons of gasolin e enou gh
energy to drive a sm a ll car from
coast to coast.
6. La n dfill non recoverable items.
We ma y always need lan dfills, bu t
Wiscon sin is working to redu ce this
n eed. Using th e techn iques de-
scribed a bove, Wisconsin a ims to
cut th e n eed for la nd fills.
7. In cinera tion of waste withou t
energy recovery. Th ough this ma y
be the lowest ran king option for
disposal of waste, it is som etimes
the only option for safe disposal of
m edical an d ha zardous wastes.
Non e of these options is the sole
solution to our wa ste disposa l prob-
lem. Each option has side effects
tha t m ust be considered when were
selecting the best solution to each
solid wa ste problem .
What ca n you do?
You can sta rt by lookin g at wha t you throw awa y at h om e. Ea ch persons
drop in th e bucket adds up to create the tra sh problem. If ea ch drop be-
comes sma ller, the problem will be reduced.
Everyon e produ ces some wa ste, but you don t h a ve to be a
sup ercon sum er. Th ink a bou t the goods, services a nd a ctivities you bu y or
support. In wha t ways do they contribute to the solid wa ste problem? How
could you pu rcha se a nd d ispose of item s in wa ys tha t genera te less trash ?
Wha t can you do to voice your opin ion a bou t solid waste issues in your
community?
For exa m ple, consider:
buying long-lasting products rather tha n item s tha t ha ve a shorter life
span an d end up a s waste sooner.
buying goods in returna ble an d recyclable containers.
learn ing where you can ta ke items to be recycled an d showing your
suppo rt by recycling a n d bu ying item s ma de with recycled conten t.
composting food wastes, leaves and grass clippings.
finding the people in your town who a re interested in reducing waste,
prom oting recycling, inventing n ew uses for old ma teria ls a nd fightin g
litter. Work together with these people to prom ote waste reduction a n d
recycling.
taking a n active interest in how your solid waste ma na gement dollarsa re spen t. Com pa re your com m un itys ha uling a nd d isposal costs with
those of neighb oring towns. Investigate th e qu a lity of your local la nd fill
a nd m easures being taken to m a ke it as safe and long-lasting a s pos-
sible.
learn ing how na ture recycles m aterials. Is m uch wasted?
Wisconsin s solid wa ste ma n a gem ent goa l is to find the best politica l, eco-
nom ic, socia l an d persona l ways to ma na ge our waste while keeping th e
environm ent h ea lthy. Ea ch of us contributes to the solid waste problem .
Ea ch of us can h elp solve it.
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Glossary
biodegradable: the p roperty of a
substan ce tha t permits it to be bro-
ken down by m icroorgan ism s into
simple, stable compounds such as
carbon dioxide an d wa ter. (See
decompose.)
bottle bi l l : a la w requirin g depos-
its on beverage con tain ers, like
a luminu m cans a nd plastic bottles.
May discoura ge littering an d
landfilling. More accurately called
a b everage conta iner deposit la w.
com post ing: a waste man age-
m ent process tha t creates an
optima l environm ent for decom po-
sition by layering orga nic wastes
like food scrap s an d gra ss clippingsso theyll decay into fertile humus.
conserve: to p rotect from loss or
depletion . Conservation is the wise
use of n a tura l resources to m ini-
m ize loss an d wa ste.
decom pose: to break down into
component parts or basic elements;
to rot. Decom position is a n orga nic
process necessary for the continu a -
tion o f life sin ce it ma kes essentia l
n utrients ava ila ble for use by plan ts
an d an ima ls.dum p: open u nsan ita ry disposa l
site u sed before existence of li-
censed, con trolled burial san itary
lan dfills. Now illega l in Wiscon sin .
energy recovery: the generation
of energy by bu rnin g solid waste.
g a r b a g e : spoiled or wa ste food
tha t is thrown a way. Generally
defined a s wet food wa ste a n d ex-
cludes dry m a teria l (trash). The
term is often used intercha ngea bly
with th e word trash.
groun dw ate r: water beneath th e
earths surface that fills the spaces
a nd flows between soil pa rticles an d
rock. Sup plies wells an d springs.
Two ou t of every three Wisconsin
citizens drink grou n dwater.
ha zardous w aste : waste tha t can
cause special problems for living
organisms or the en vironm ent be-
recover energy: see energy
recovery.
recycle: the collection a nd repro-
cessing of manufactured materials
for rema nu facture either in th esam e form or a s part of a different
product.
reduce: to lessen in exten t,
am ount, num ber or other qua ntity.
renew able resource: a na tura l
resource derived from a n end less or
cyclical source (e.g., sun , wind,
wa ter, fish, trees, cotton ). With
proper m a na gement a nd wise use,
replacemen t of these resources by
na tural or h um a n-assisted systems
can equa l or exceed their consum p-tion.
reuse: to exten d th e life of an item
by using it a ga in, repairing it,
m odifying it or creating n ew uses
for it.
sani tary la ndf i l l: a specially
en gineered site for disposing of solid
waste on lan d. Con structed in a
way tha t reduces hazards to hea lth
a nd safety.
sol id w aste: a ll solid, sem i-solid,
liqu id an d ga seous wastes, includ-
ing trash, garba ge, yard waste,
ashes, industrial waste, swill, demo-
lition and construction waste and
h ousehold discards such a s a ppli-
a nces, furniture an d equipm ent.
sol id w aste m an ag em ent: th e
controlling, ha ndling a nd disposal
of all solid wa ste. On e goa l of solid
waste m a na gement is to reduce
waste to a m inimu m.
source reduction: a reduction in
the a m oun t an d/or toxicity of waste
entering th e waste stream a lso
called waste preven tion.
trash: m a teria l con sidered worth-
less, un necessary or offensive tha t is
usua lly thrown a way. Trash is gen-
erally defin ed as dry m a teria l an d
excludes food wa ste (garba ge) a n d
a shes. However, th e term is often
used interchangeably with the word
garbage.
cau se it is poison ous, exp losive,
bu rns or dissolves flesh or m eta l,
ignites easily with or without a
flam e or ca rries disease. Som e h a z-
a rdous wastes h a ve one cha racteris-
tic, others have several.
hu m us: organ ic m a teria l con sist-
ing of decayed vegetable ma tter
tha t provides nu trients for plan ts
a n d increases the a bility of the soil
to reta in water.
landfi l l : a site for the controlled
bu rial of solid waste.
l e a c h a te : liquid tha t ha s perco-
lated through solid wa ste an d/or
been gen erated by solid wa ste de-
com position a nd contains ex-tracted, dissolved or suspended
ma terials. Ma y conta m inate
groun d or surfa ce wa ter.
l i tter: waste m a teria ls discarded in
a n in a pprop ria te place. Litterin g is
illega l in Wiscon sin .
m ethan e: a colorless, odorless,
flam ma ble, potentially dan gerous
ga seous h ydroca rbon (CH4) present
in na tural gas an d formed by the
decomp osition of organ ic m a tter.
Can be used as a fuel.
na tural resource: valuable, na tu-
rally occurring m a teria l such a s
soil, wood, a ir, wa ter, oil or m iner-
als.
no nrenew ab le resource: a natu-
ral m a teria l tha t, beca use of its
sca rcity, the grea t length of tim e
requ ired for its forma tion or its
rapid depletion, is considered finite
in a m oun t (e.g., coa l, copper, petro-
leum).
o r g a n i c : derived from living
organisms.
pol lut ion: ha rmful substan ces
deposited in the environment, lead-
ing to a state of dirtiness, impu rity
or un hea lthiness.
raw m a teria l: un processed n atu -
ral resource or produ ct used in
manufacturing.
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Activities
Part 1 My Ton of Trash
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Note: Read the definition s for solid wa ste, tra sh a n d ga rba ge in th e Glossary . For th ese a ctivities, in itially consider
recycla bles a s pa rt of the trash . On ce items a re identified an d recycled, they will no longer be tra sh. See Going Beyond
in Part 1.
Procedure:
1. Describe tra sh a n d list some ex -
a m ples. Discuss:
Wha t qualit ies does an i tem ha ve
tha t m a kes you decide it is trash?
Wha t different kinds of trash are
there?
2. Dum p the 14 poun d ba g of trash
(and recyclables) on the floor.
Discuss: Does this seem like a lot of trash?
Th is m uch tra sh is thrown ou t each
da y for every person in Wisconsin .
How do you think the number
14 pou n ds was ca lcula ted? Will
the nu m ber ever cha nge? Why?
How do you feel about the fact
tha t you a re respon sible for 14
poun ds of trash tha t is thrown ou t
each day?
Goal: To help students visualize
h ow mu ch solid waste is gen erated
for each p erson in Wisconsin an d
un derstand how the num ber of
people living in our state a nd coun -
try affects this am oun t.
Subjects: Math em a tics, social
studies, science, environm enta l
education, hea lth.
Grades: 6-12
Materials:
14 pound bag of miscellan eous
trash a nd recycla bles. Wash
conta iners, avoid items with
sharp edges.
gloves
3. Calculate:
If you generate 14 pounds of
trash each day, how man y pounds
do you m a ke every week, mon th
an d year?
Conver t the annu al num ber from
poun ds into tons. How ma ny tons
of trash do you ma ke each yea r?
To help you visua lize how much
a ton weighs, a dd the weights ofstudents in th e cla ss un til you rea ch
on e ton. How m a ny studen ts does it
take to ma ke a ton? How man y
studen ts-worth of trash do you
ma ke each year?
How man y people are in your
fa m ily? If 14 poun ds of trash a re
genera ted each da y for every
person, how ma ny poun ds or tons
of trash does your fa m ily ma ke
every week, mon th a nd yea r?
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Part 2 Class Trash
How ma ny people live in
Wiscon sin ? If 14 po un ds of tra sh
a re genera ted each da y for every
person, how ma ny poun ds or tons
of trash a re generated ea ch da y in
Wisconsin?
Discuss:
What happens to al l the trash
you throw a way?
Where is awa y? Is there such aplace?
What do you think happens to
wa ste at th e lan dfill? (See a ctivity:
Wh ere Ha s All the Ga rba ge Gone?)
Wha t are possible problems with
piling waste in landfills?
What would you do with your
familys trash if there was no truck
tha t cam e to take it awa y? How
m ight th is a ffect the a m oun t of
trash your fam ily m akes?
4. Research the rate of hum anpop ula tion growth in Wisconsin
a nd th e U.S. since 1650. Discuss:
What relationship might there be
between a n increasing h um an
population an d the amoun t of
trash generated?
How might the am ount of t rash
generated be influen ced by cha nges
in lifestyles sin ce 1650? (See
a ctivity: How Tim es Have
Changed.)
How might the am ount of t rash
genera ted be influenced by fa m ily
income?
How ha ve increases in n um bers
of people an d a m oun ts of trashaffected the environment?
Wha t are the predictions for
future human population growth?
Wha t predictions might you
m a ke for the a m oun ts of trash well
produ ce in the future?
What impacts might an
increasing popu lation h ave on our
use of na tura l resources?
5. Calculate:
If every person in Wisconsin
threw awa y one less poun d of trashper da y, how mu ch less trash wou ld
end up in ou r states lan dfills?
Discuss:
What could you do to reduce th e
am oun t of waste you ma ke?
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
How man y pounds of t rash do
you think are thrown out each day
for every person in Wiscon sin?
Wha t relationship, if an y, is there
between the n um ber of people an d
the am ount of trash?
Going Beyond:The 14 p oun ds of solid wa ste repre-
sent the am ount you generate at
hom e each da y (4.7 lbs.) an d your
share of the am oun t genera ted by
m an ufacturers and industry (9.3
lbs.) when they m a ke products for
you . Since 1990 , the p eople of Wis-
consin h a ve been recycling m ore to
reduce the a m oun t of trash going
to la n dfills. Ea ch person recycles 1.9
pou n ds of hou sehold solid waste a
day, an d m an ufacturers an d indus-
try recycle 4.6 pou nd s a da y for you(for a total of 6.5 lbs./person/d a y).
Do som e of the ca lcula tions above
using 12 p oun ds for tra sh an d 2
pou n ds for recyclables (equiva lent
to the 199 0 recycling ra te). Wha t
impa ct ha s recycling h a d on lan d-
fill space?
C l as
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Goal: To ha ve studen ts calculatethe a m oun t an d types of trash
thrown out by th eir cla ss a t sch ool
a nd in vestigate where it is taken .
Subjects: Math em a tics, social
studies, science, environm enta l
education, hea lth.
Grades: 7-12
Materials:
trash generated by your class on
a typica l da y (sa ve for use with
Part 3)Note to teacher:
Studen ts will need to be fa m iliar
with the con cepts of weight, volum e
a nd n um ber in order to do the fol-
lowing a ctivity a nd un derstan d
their im plica tions. Consider u sin g
this activity as part of a m ath ema t-
ics lesson that addresses these con-
cepts.
Procedure:1. List th e items you th row in th e
classroom a nd lunchroom waste-
ba skets on a typica l day. Now ca t-
egorize them a ccording to wh a t
m a teria l theyre m a de of (e.g., food,
paper, plastic, aluminum, glass).
Predict wha t four types of m a teria ls
m ake u p th e greatest portion of the
waste by: weight, volum e an d
nu m ber of items. Record you r
predictions.
2. Collect a nd save the tra shyour class gen erates (in th e
cla ssroom, a rt room , sh op,
lun chroom , etc.) on a typica l
day (wash jars an d can s, place
food trash in a sea led con-
tain er). You ca n save trash
for more than one da y if
you wish. This will ena ble
you to ca lcula te the aver-
age am ount generated by
your cla ss ea ch da y.
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Part 3 Trash or Treasure?
3. Dum p th e trash on the floor. Sort
items into piles according to th e
type of m a teria l of which th e item s
are made.
4. Coun t the n um ber of different
item s of ea ch typ e (e.g., 47 pieces of
pap er, 3 aluminum soda can s, 8
juice boxes, 11 pla stic ba gs, 1 bro-
ken p encil). Wha t types of item scomprise m ost of the trash by nu m -
ber? Draw a b a r graph to illustrate
this. Pla ce the trash by type in sepa -
rate ba gs.
5. Select the four typ es of item s you
estim ate m a ke up m ost of the trash
by weigh t. Use one o f the following
m ethods to determ ine the exa ct or
a pproxima te weight of each type:
a ) If you h a ve a grocery scale in
your classroom, weigh th e items.
b) If you h ave a ba throom scale:
example
Stan d on the scale.
Wha t is your weight? ...... 100 lbs.
Pick up a ba g.
Now wha t is your
weight? .............................. 102 lbs.
How mu ch does the
ba g weigh? ............................ 2 lbs.
c. If you d on t ha ve a sca le, find
objects in the classroom th a t are of
a kn own weight. Comp are the
weights of your object an d th e trash
(use a bala nce if you h ave on e).
Estim a te the weight of the tra sh.
6. Ca lcula te the volum e of the tra sh
in each ba g by mea suring the
width, length a nd depth of items init. How m ight volu m e differ if the
glass, can s or boxes are crushed?
Does weight ch a n ge if volum e
changes?
7. How do your calculation s com -
pa re with the predictions you m ade
in step 1?
8. How m uch trash d oes your class
throw out in a day, week, month
a n d school year by weight, volum e
an d num ber? Calculate the average
am oun t each student th rows out inone day.
9. How mu ch spa ce will on e scho ol
yea rs-worth of your cla sss ga rba ge
fill if the ga rba ge is not com-
pressed? Calcula te the volum e of
your cla ssroom . If you didn t re-
move any of your classs trash from
the cla ssroom, h ow mu ch of the
room would be filled with tra sh by
the end of the year? How much
room would be left for you?
10. If the n um ber of studen ts in
your class is average for your
sch ool, calculate how m uch tra sh
your sch ool generates each school
year. Discuss:
Do you think your class ma kes alot of trash? Not so m uch ? Exp lain
reasons for your respon se.
When the trash from each class
in th e schoo l is added together, do
you end u p with a lot of trash?
Expla in rea sons for your respon se.
11. Investigate where your schools
tra sh is taken . (See activity: Where
Has All the Garba ge Gone?)
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
How much trash do you thinkyour cla ss throws a way ea ch da y?
Wha t types of trash do you think
your cla ss throws awa y on a typica l
day?
Wha t hap pens to your schools
trash?
Goal: To ha ve studen ts find ou t
why, how an d where they shou ld
recycle or reuse what they typically
throw a way.
Subjects: Science, social studies,
lan gua ge arts, environm enta l edu-
cation, consumer education, familyliving, ma rketing.
Grades: 4-12
Procedure:
1. Is there a n ything else you can do
with wha t you th row awa y? List
your idea s. Most of them will fit
into one of the following five cat-
egories: redu ce, reuse, recycle, com -
post, recover energy. Write these
five ca tegories on the bo a rd. Wha t
trash item s might fit best into ea ch
category? List them un der the
proper category h eading.
2. Do a) a nd/ or b), then a nswer the
discussion questions:
a ) To the tea cher: Give each studen t
a copy of the following checklist to
fill out, or pu t the list on the b oa rd
a nd work through it as a group. For
younger students, you m a y want to
use p ictures of the item s listed be-
low. Feel free to a dd your own
items.
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Discuss:
Wha t items did you circle?
How could you ha ve reduced
items?
How could you have reused
items?
Did you wonder whether the
na pkin was paper or cloth? What
difference migh t it ma ke?
What could you ha ve done with
the recyclable items?
What could you ha ve done with
a pple cores a nd p otato peels?
Which items are difficult to
redu ce, reuse or recycle? Why?
Why do we ma ke products that
arent reusable or recyclable?
Did an y of your classma tes
reduce, reuse or recycle any of theitem s you circled?
How did they reduce, reuse or
recycle the item s?
Was reducing, reusing or
recycling th em easy to do? Why or
why not?
What do you think happens to
th e items you d idn t circle?
Directions:
Put an X n ext to item s you th rew in the wa steba sket this week.
____Pa per ba g ____Ora n ge peel
____Na pkin ____Gra ss clippings
____Newspa per ____Old clothes
____Book ____Pla stic ba g
____Ma ga zin e ____Pla stic m ilk ca rton
____Pa per m ilk ca rton ____Broken toy
____Other pa per ____Tin ca n
____Gum wra pper ____Gla ss ja r
____Alum inum ca n ____Other
____App le core
Now circle a ll the item s you thin k could ha ve been redu ced (used lessof), reused or recycled.
m enta l protection a gencies, gla ss
m a n ufacturers, recycling
bu sinesses, mu nicipal p ublic works
departm ents, used furniture a nd
clothing stores an d environmen tal
organizations.)
Make a list with the following
information about the businesses or
organizations that recycle: name,
a ddress, telephon e n um ber,m a teria ls recycled, h ours of
operation, wh ether the
organ iza tion will pay you for
m ateria ls an d an y other useful
informa tion. This informa tion is
a vailable in: Wiscons in Markets
Directory (see Resources).
4. Investigate and discuss:
What are some advantages of
recycling? (Conserves n a tura l
resources, saves energy, protects the
environm ent, can ma ke money,creates jobs for peop le involved in
recycling a nd reduces our
dependence on im ported
materials.)
Wha t are some disadvan tages of
recycling? (May cost money, takes
time, ta kes spa ce for stora ge, takes
a way jobs from p eople who m ake
produ cts from non recycled
materials and depends on recycling
m a rkets.) (See a ctivity: Th e Cost of
the Toss.)
What are the pros an d cons of energy recovery an d la nd fillin g?
5. Brain storm the steps your class
m ight ta ke to design an d imple-
m ent a recycling p roject for your
classroom or school. (See a ctivity:
Tim e for Action .) Select a p roject
th a t is feasible. For exa m ple, collect
a nd recycle pa per from the schools
copy ma chine a nd cla ssrooms.
Who can you contact to help you
with your project?
6. Consider doing your project!
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
Wha t is recycling? What a re
reuse, en ergy recovery an d
landfilling?
Wha t types of solid waste can be
recycled, reused, recovered or
landfilled?
What can you do in your school
to recycle solid waste?
b) Sort the item s tha t your class
threw out in on e da y (Part 2) into
the following categories: reusable,
recyclable and other. Discuss:
Why did you place each item in
the ca tegory you ch ose?
Does your cla ss recycle a ny of the
items?
Shou ld your class recycle them ?
Why?
Are there som e items your class
could recycle bu t doesnt? Wh y
doesn t your cla ss recycle them ?
Are there pla ces in school aside
from the classroom where you
discard trash du ring the da y? Thin k
about how mu ch food and h ow
m an y food wra ppers, ca ns an d
bottles you disca rd at lun ch, howm an y pa per towels you u se to dry
your hands, etc.
What happens to the items tha t
arent reusable or recyclable?
3. Investiga te where in you r com-
m un ity you can ta ke items to be
reused o r recycled.
How can you find out about local
recycling programs? (Contact: local
na tural resources an d en viron-
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Part 4 Cutting Class Trash
Goal: To ha ve studen ts realize tha t
reuse an d recycling of ma teria ls a re
not th e only or ma in solutions to
th e solid waste prob lem. A key step
is to cut down on the u se of ma teri-
a ls tha t become solid waste.Subjects: Consumer education,
fam ily living, social studies, science,
environm enta l education.
Grades: 5-12
Procedure:
1. In wha t ways ca n you reduce the
a mou nt of trash you throw out at
sch ool? Dont forget to con sider
waste from th e art room, shop,
lun chroom , etc. Write your ideas on
the blackboard an d request tha t it
n ot be erased for one week.
2. For one week, cut down on your
use of pa per, food pa ckaging a nd
other materials. Refer to the sugges-
tions on th e blackboa rd. Note: It
isn t fair to cut down by th rowing
things out in other trash ca ns in the
school.
3. At the end of each d a y, ca lcula te
the am oun t of trash an d list what
individual item s ma ke up m ost of
th e trash . (See Part 2 for instruc-tions.)
4. Com pa re your findings with th e
a mou nts ca lculated in Part 2.
Calculate:
Did you throw out less trash
when you tried to cut down ? How
m uch less?
If your class cut down on use of
m a teria ls for the schoo l yea r, how
m uch less trash (in pou n ds) would
you send to th e lan dfill?
Discuss:
How easy is it to cut down on
how mu ch you use?
Do you feel tha t it is worth doing?
Why?
Will you continue to cut down on
your use of ma terials, or is this class
a ctivity a on e-shot dea l?
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
How can you reduce the am ount
of trash you genera te in your cla ss/
school each day?
Going Beyond:
1. Ta ke a copy of the ch ecklist an d
questions from Pa rt 3 hom e an d fill
it out. Note to teach er: Include a
cover letter to pa rents explain ing
that the class is studying solid wastea n d recycling, an d you would like
them to help their children see
wha t kind of solid wa ste is gener-
a ted a t hom e. Discuss:
What did you find out about
wha t your fa mily throws awa y?
How do you feel about your
findings?
Wha t ideas do you ha ve for what
you could do with th e trash
generated at h ome?
2. Trace the a fterlife of one o f the
item s on th e checklist from Part 3.
For exa m ple, wha t ha ppen s to the
plastic ba g or pap er milk carton
a fter its taken to th e lan dfill? Does
it decomp ose? Does its decomp osi-
tion crea te ha rmful by-produ cts?
Wha t im pa cts m ight its decomp osi-
tion ha ve on a ir, soil, water an d
health?
3. Create a reusable item from
someth ing youre going to throw
away.
CHOCH
OBAR
4. Investigate what types of used
m a teria ls organ iza tions like the
Sa lvation Army a n d Goodwill In-
dustries need an d wha t they do
with the m a teria ls they receive.
Look for stores in your com m un itytha t sell used products (a pp lia nces,
furn iture, sports equipm ent, etc.)
Look for businesses in your com m u-
n ity tha t repa ir items.
5. Discuss the role of ya rd sa les or
ga rage sa les in recycling a n d reus-
ing m aterials.
6. Investigate h ow the am oun ts
a nd types of wastes genera ted by a
ba nk, office building, grocery store,
clothin g store an d h ospita l differ.
How does each business dispose ofits waste? Do any recycle materials?
7. Ou r cha n ging lifestyles over the
last 20 yea rs ha ve affected wha t
an d how mu ch we throw away.
Wha t lifestyle cha n ges ha ve af-
fected ou r disposa l ha bits?
8. Resea rch a n d report on wa ste
disposal h a bits of other coun tries.
How do th ey dea l with solid waste?
Do they ma ke as mu ch garbage as
America ns do? Why or why not?
How do you feel a bout this?
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Part 1 Natura l Resources: Handle With Care
How longbeforeits gas?
Right in My Hometown
for ma intaining your present
lifestyle or is a luxury?
Which, if an y, items listed in th e
essential category a re really not
essential for survival? Explain your
response.
Do you think your parents or
grand pa rents would pla ce the
products in differen t catego ries?How would their list differ from
yours?
5. After discussing the lists, suggest
alternatives for each item, making
a n effort to repla ce items you th ink
a re inefficient or wa steful with
items th a t a re less wasteful. Discuss:
Would using alterna tives increase
or decrea se your use of renewable
resources?
Would using alterna tives increase
or decrea se your use of
non renewa ble resources?
How might cha nges in the
production an d consum ption of
these produ cts influen ce the
economy a nd the environment?
Why do we use nonrenewable
resources to ma ke produ cts?
6. Look a t the list of lux ury item s.
Which items could you give up
without a m ajor cha nge in your
lifestyle?
Goal: To ha ve students exam ine
their own u se ofrenewable a nd non-renewable natural resources, deter-
m ine which a re essen tial for their
survival a n d suggest ways they
m ight ch a n ge th eir lifestyles to
m ake m ore ca reful use of na tural
resources.
Subjects: La ngu a ge a rts, science,
social stud ies, environm enta l edu-
cation, technology education.
Grades: 6-12.
Procedure:
1. Wha t is a na tural
resource? List several
examples.
2. Define th e terms renewa ble
a nd non renewable resource.
Som e ren ewable resources are: solar
energy, water, food a nd wood.
Som e non renewa ble resources are:
petroleum , tin, ba ux ite, coal, cop-
per and lead.
3. Do a , b or c below:
a ) List th e produ cts you u sed orconsum ed during a specific time
period, e.g., between the tim e you
got hom e from school yesterday
a nd th e tim e you went to bed; be-
tween th e tim e you got up this
m orning a nd the time you left for
school.
b) Describe a scena rio or event, a nd
a s a group , list wha t products were
used.
c) Have th e teach er select an d read
a story in wh ich p eople use a vari-
ety of produ cts. As a class, list wh a t
products were used. Discuss:
Which products are made of
renewa ble resources, non renew-
able resources?
4. Cla ssify each p rodu ct as: essen-
tial to surviva l, necessary for ma in-
taining my present lifestyle, a
lux ury. Discuss:
What criteria did you use to
define wha t is essen tial, is n ecessary
7. Make a list, begin nin g with th e
easiest item to give up an d end ing
with th e m ost difficult. Could you
give up the top th ree items on th is
list for a da y? a week? a m on th?
Try it. How do you feel?
8. Th ink of severa l ways to reuse or
recycle item s you decide you ca n t
give up .
9. Identify some of the econom ic,
cultural an d environm enta l im-
pa cts of an y cha nges you m ake or
recommend. Consider the implica-
tions if you r entire fam ily, schoo l,
comm un ity and country m ade such
changes.
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
Define and give exa mples of:
natural resource, renewable
resource, non renewa ble resource.
List four items you use that a rent
essentia l for your survival. Wh a t
imp a ct does their production or
disposal ha ve on our environm ent,
econom y, culture?
Would you be willing to give
them up or use alterna tives if you
discovered tha t the imp a ct is
significantly adverse?
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Part 2 Biography of a Product
Wha t will you do with i t?
Can the product or its parts be
reused or recycled in some wa y?
How?
Will the product or its pa rts
decomp ose if buried in a lan dfill? Wha t effects does disposing of
this product ha ve on the
environment?
Can it be safely burned to
produ ce en ergy? Does bu rning it
release ha rmful ch emicals?
Who pa ys for disposing of the
product?
W ho i s r e spon s ib l e fo r
disposin g of it?
Going Beyond:
Investigate a n swers to the fol-lowing questions by checking
books , a r t icles a n d m a ga zines ,
or writ ing to a gencies or organ i-
zat ions for inform a t ion.
Wha t natural resources used by
the U.S. come from other countries?
How mu ch of each resource is
imp orted? foun d in the U.S.?
How does importing raw
materials influence: U.S. and world
economics, politics and security; the
loca l an d global environm ent;
socia l systems a n d jobs in th e U.S.a nd other countries?
Wha t used, recyclable m aterials
(e.g., newspa per, scrap m etal) does
the U.S. export to other countries?
Wh y does the U.S. export these
m ateria ls? Why do th e other
coun tries im port these ma teria ls?
How long will known reserves of
coa l, wood, oil, iron , copp er,
petroleum , wa ter, bau xite, na tural
ga s an d zinc last if we con tinue to
use them a t present ra tes? Are a ny
of th em renewa ble resources? Wha tm ight h a ppen a s we begin to use
up these resources? (Investigate:
offsh ore oil developmen t; minera l
exploration in Antarctica a nd
world political implications; the
coal econom y of Kentu cky a nd
West Virginia ; U.S. oil in terests in
th e Middle Ea st; timb er controversy
in the Pacific northwest.)
Goal: To h a ve studen ts investiga te
the n a tura l resources required to
ma ke a product that is ma nu fac-
tured in their com m un ity, deter-
m ine wheth er the resources a re
renewable or nonrenewable an dconsider the impacts that produc-
tion h as on the environm ent an d
econom y (locally an d elsewhere).
Subjects: Social studies, science,
hea lth, lan gua ge arts, environm en-
tal education.
Grades: 6-12
Procedure:
1. Select one produ ct th a t is m a de
in your comm un ity. For exam ple,
bicycles are m a de in Wa terloo,ba tteries a nd bologna in Madison,
pen s in Jan esville, soy sa uce in
Walworth, shoes in LaCrosse, ships
in Sturgeon Ba y, beer in Milwau -
kee, gla ss in Burlington a n d cheese,
pa per an d plastics in m a ny towns.
2. List or draw on the b lackboa rd
the production steps and all the raw
materials required to ma ke the prod-
uct. Con tact or visit the m a n ufac-
turer if you n eed more informa tion
a bout the process an d m a terialsused to ma ke the product.
Discuss:
Are m ore raw ma terials required
to ma ke your product tha n you
expected?
Where did the raw ma terials
come from? Is th e source in your
town, state or coun try?
What am ounts of these raw
m aterials are a vailable?
What happens to theenvironment when the raw
materials are extracted from the
earth or ha rvested? Does this
process produce polluta nts or
destroy lan d or ecosystem s? How
m ight it a ffect people living in the
area?
Were the raw materials chan ged
(refined ) before they got to your
town?
Were there an y by-products ma de
from refin ing the ra w ma teria ls?
What happened to these by-
products?
Wha t imp acts does each step in
the m an ufacturing p rocess ha ve on
the environm ent? the econom y?
3. Categorize th e produ ct as: essen-
tial to survival, n ecessa ry for m a in-
tain ing m y present lifestyle or a
luxury. Discuss:
Wha t criteria did you use to
m a ke your decision?
Wha t imp acts does use of the
product ha ve on th e environm ent?
4. Describe wha t ha ppen s to the
product a fter you use it. Discuss:
Can it be used up or will it wear
out?
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Where Has All The Garbage Gone?
Part 1 Ma king a Mini-Landfill
Goal: To ha ve students exam ine
the m aterials that com prise theprodu cts they u se, describe wh ether
these ma teria ls a re renewa ble or
n onren ewable resources, observe
wha t ha ppen s to ma terials when
placed in an old fashion du mp an d
a n ewer san itary la nd fill a nd decide
wheth er they should be disposed of
in a different wa y.
Subjects: Science, social studies,
environm enta l education.
Grades: 4-6.
Materials:
eight large clear glass jars
four tight-fitting lids for jars
dry soil
miscellan eous solid waste
cra yon s
m a skin g ta p e
Procedure:
A) 1. Choose one item you threw
a way toda y. Wha t is your item
m a de of? In to which of th e follow-
ing fou r catego ries of solid waste
does your item fit?
a ) organic (e.g., potato peels)
b) renewa ble resource/recycla ble
(e.g., n ewspa per)c) non renewable resource/recy-
clab le (e.g., aluminu m can s)
d) non renewable resource/h a rd to
recycle (e.g., tooth b rush )
2. Wha t ha ppen s to the item you
threw away? Discuss:
Where is away?
W ha t is a dum p?
What is a lan dfill?
Wha t is the difference between a
dum p a nd a landfil l?
3. List ways you can a void dispos-ing of your item in a lan dfill.
B) 1. With crayons a n d m a sking
ta pe, label two sets of gla ss jars
with th e four category hea dings
a bove. La bel on e set of jars Set 1;
the other Set 2.
2. Fill ea ch ja r in Set 1 an d Set
2 a bou t h a lf full with soil.
3. Sort ea ch solid waste item in to its
proper category (a -d). Put a sma ll
sam ple of ea ch into the Set 1 an dSet 2 jars with the corresponding
labels an d cover with soil. Do the
following:
Set 1, leave the lids off and
keep soil dam p with water. Set 2, put the lids on tight; do
not a dd water.
Place both se ts of ja r s on a
shel f awa y from p eople a nd out
of direct sun .
4. Predict wha t you th ink will ha p-
pen to the solid waste in ea ch jar.
Record your predictions.
5. Observe an d record wha t
cha n ges occur du ring a 4-6 week
period, if an y. Discuss:
What happened to the itemsm ade of organic and renewable
resources in Set 1? Set 2?
What happened to the items
m a de of non renewa ble resources in
Set 1? Set 2?
How did wha t happened
comp a re with you r predictions?
What compar isons can you ma ke
between Set 1 a n d Set 2.
6. Set 1 represents the old fa sh-
ioned du m p; Set 2 represents the
n ewer san itary la n dfill. Wha t com -pa risons can you m ake between
your mini-dum ps a nd m ini-land -
fills an d a real dum p a nd a real
landfill?
RECYCLABLERENEWABLE
HARD TO RECYCLE
NONRENEWABLEORGANIC RECYCLABLE
NONRENEWABLE
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C) 1. Keep a record of your fa m ilys
pu rcha ses from two trips to the
grocery store. Divide th e items in to
th e four solid waste ca tegories listed
a bove. Discuss:
What does your fam ily do with
the waste from its store pu rcha ses?
Is there anything your fam ily
could do with th e waste from its
store purchases besides landfilling?
Could you substitute items from
d with item s from a -c? Is this a
worthy goal? Why?
If your goa l is to reduce solid
waste, wha t else could you do with
item s from d to keep them out of
landfills?
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
Define and give exa mples of:
organic m ateria l, renewable
resource, non renewa ble resource.
What do you think will happen
to item s m a de of renewa ble or
n onren ewable resources when
theyre put in m odern la nd fill?
List four item s you use everyda ytha t you could recycle.
Part 2 Follow That Ga rba ge!
of loca l waste disposal sites ca n b e
obtained by contacting your DNR
district solid waste m a na gemen t
specialist. Be sure to follow all
safety precau tions while visit ing
th e site.
b) If you a re un a ble to take a field
trip, a sk a guest spea ker to com e
a n d discuss loca l solid wa ste m a n -
a gem ent with your class. Resource
people you m ight conta ct are:
waste disposa l site opera tors, pri-
vate waste h a ulers, Exten sion
agen ts, environm enta l health
officers, governm en t officials, envi-
ronm enta l organ ization representa -
tives, DNR a nd loca l solid waste
m an agers an d public works
personnel.
2. Before visiting the municipal
lan dfill or ha ving a gu est spea ker,develop a list of questions you
would like a n swered. Investigate
possible answers to your questions.
Then sen d the qu estions to the
guide or guest spea ker in a dva n ce
so he/ she ca n p repa re responses.
Questions to con sider include:
Where is the trash from your
school or hom e taken?
How does it get there?
Why was the lan dfill located on
this site? Wh a t factors m ust be
considered wh en a site is selected?
Wha t tests were done a t the site
before it was open ed? Wha t were
the results?
Wha t laws govern solid waste
disposal in your comm un ity?
Goal: To h a ve studen ts see where
their garbage goes and investigate
their communitys solid waste dis-
posa l issues.
Subjects: Social studies, science,hea lth, environm enta l education.
Grades: 4-12
Procedure:
1. a) Conta ct your m un icipal land-
fill an d obta in p ermission for your
class to visit it. Arran ge for th e site
manager, owner or other resource
person to gu ide your trip a nd be
a vailable to a nswer questions. A list
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Is the lan dfill an engineered or
unengineered site?
Who owns the landfil l? When did
it open? Wha t was the cost of
constructing it?
Who does the site serve? Who can
bring wa stes to the la n dfill?
Wha t is the fee for using the
landfill?
How much does your fam ily payfor tra sh collection?
How mu ch does it cost to take
care of trash once its in the
landfill?
How much solid waste is disposed
of at this site daily, weekly and
yearly?
Who works a t the site? Do they
m onitor wha t is dum ped?
What happens to the t rash once
it is dum ped in th e lan dfill?
Are an y of the materials
h a zardou s? Are there regulations or
procedures for dealing with
ha zardous wastes?
What is the land adjacent to the
lan dfill used for? Is the lan dfill a
problem for nea rby la nd owners? If
so, in wha t ways? Wha t ha s been
don e to alleviate the problem s?
How is the site man aged for
control of blowing trash, odors,
n oise, an ima ls, erosion, surfa ce
runoff, leacha te an d metha ne gas?
Are tests performed regularly atthe site (groundwater, soil,
metha ne gas)? Wha t are
the results?
Is there a resource recovery
program a t the site? If so, wha t is
recovered? How?
Wha t imp acts does resource
recovery ha ve on the economy a nd
environment?
How ma ny years is the lan dfil l
expected to last? How mu ch time
does com m un ity ha ve to find a new
site? How will the lan dfill be
m onitored a nd cared for a fter it is
closed? Wh o is respon sible? Who
pa ys for this? Wha t will be don e
with th e lan d a t the site?
Wha t alternatives for waste
disposal is your comm un ity
pra cticin g or considering for the
future?
How ha ve or will these
alterna tives impa ct the am oun t of
trash goin g to the la nd fill?
How can you participate in
m a king the decisions tha t develop
future waste ma na gement plan s in
your comm un ity?
3. Now tha t you know more about
landfills:
How do you feel about them?
Will we a lways need them ?
Are they the best way to dispose
of trash ? Wha t a re possible
alternatives?
What can you do to help reduce
solid wa ste?
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
Where is the trash you throw
away taken?
What eventual ly happens to your
trash th ere?
Wha t is the difference between a
dump and a sanitary landfill?
Going Beyond: For olderstudents. . .
If your commu nity has a solid
waste incinerator, visit it. Wha t a re
the pros an d cons of incineration?
Investigate waste disposal
techn iques, problems a n d laws in
other p a rts of Wisconsin , other
states in the U.S. a nd the world.
Consult ind ividua ls, books,
newspa pers, ma gazines an d sta te
agencies.
Conduct a hearing to decide
where to loca te a la n dfill in yourcomm un ity. Ta ke the roles of the
people involved with th e decision:
loca l lan downers, politicia ns,
indu stry representa tives,
environm enta lists, waste m an a gers
a nd others.
La ndfills often ha ve been
developed in wetlands, although
th is is now illega l in W isconsin .
Consider the following questions:
Why were lan dfills often located
in wetlands?
Wha t problems might exist withpla cing lan dfills in wetla n ds?
Are wet lands an impor tan t
ecosystem? Why?
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Composting: A Great, Rotten Idea
Procedure:
1. Define: recyclab le, biodegrad -
a ble. List m a teria ls tha t a re recy-
clable a nd/ or biodegrada ble.
Are there recyclable ma terialstha t aren t biodegra da ble? Are
there biodegrada ble ma terials tha t
arent recyclable?
2. Feel, smell an d look a t the rottin g
log, gra ss clipp ings, leaves or food
scrap s. Wha t words would you use
to describe these m a terials? List
these words. Do the words ha ve
positive an d/or n egative conn ota-
tions? Why?
3. Explain wha t is ha ppen ing to the
rotting material. Discuss:
Wha t is the natural process that
breaks b iodegra dable m ater ia l
into pa r t icles tha t can be used
aga in by p l an t s an d an i m a l s?
(decomposi t ion)
Wha t organisms assist in th is
decomposition process? (fungi,
ba cteria, ea rthworm s, springta ils,
m ites, etc.)
Wha t will your rotting m aterial
fina lly becom e? (hum us)
4. Im agine a world where decomp o-
sition doesn t ta ke pla ce. Discuss:
Part 1 Is It Rotten?
B a c k g r o u n d : When we men tion
recycling, we often th ink of recy-
cling glass bottles, aluminum cansa nd newspapers. Anoth er 22% of
the h ousehold garba ge we throw
out can also be recycled. These
recyclab les a re food scrap s, lea ves,
grass clipp ings an d other biodegrad-
able organ ic wa stes. Orga nic wastes
can be recycled by composting. Sim -
ply stated, comp ostin g involves
crea ting conditions to prom ote
decomp osition. Decomp osition is
the bioch em ica l process by which
ba cteria , fun gi an d oth er micro-
scopic orga nisms break orga n icwastes into nutrients that can be
used by plan ts an d an ima ls. De-
composition occurs in nature when-
ever a leaf fa lls to th e groun d or a n
animal dies. It is essential for the
continu a tion of life on ea rth. The
result of decom position in a com-
post pile is a n utrient-rich m ulch
tha t is excellent for improving soil
qua lity an d plan t growth.
Goal: To h a ve studen ts investiga te
the p ros a nd cons of comp osting.
Subjects: Science, h ealth , environ-
m enta l educa tion, vocationa l agri-
culture, consumer education,family living.
Grades: 4-12
Materials:
rotting log, grass clippings,
leaves or food scrap s
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What would happen to organic
materials like dead animals, leaves
or sewage?
Could plan ts an d an imals survive
if decomp osition did not occur?
Why or why not?
Is decomposition imp ortant?
Why?
5. Now th ink o f words to describerot or decomposition. List them. Do
the words h a ve positive an d/or
nega tive connota tions? Why?
6. List item s you th row awa y tha t
a re biodegrad a ble. Discuss:
How might you an d your fam ily
recycle these materials?
What is composting?
Why do you think people
comp ost ho usehold organ ic wastes?
7. Wha t a re som e benefits of
composting h ousehold food an dyard wastes? For exa m ple:
Doesnt require the purcha se of
plastic bags often used for disposing
of household and yard wastes.
Saves the cost of transporting
wastes to a nd h an dling wa stes at
the landfill. Wisconsin discards 3/4
m illion tons of com postable
m un icipal yard waste and food
scra ps every yea r. It costs $80-93
per ton to collect wastes in urba n
a reas an d $25-$32 per ton to
dispose of them . How much m oneydo Wisconsin citizens spend each
year d isposing of their composta ble
wastes?
Saves spa ce in the lan dfill.
La ndfills a re filling u p fa st. At the
end of 1990, Wisconsin ha d 38
m illion tons of m un icipal lan dfill
cap a city left a nd was filling u p
lan dfills at the rate of 4.6 m illion
tons per year. Within 8 yea rs, most
will be filled to ca pa city. Th us,
Wisconsin a lrea dy ha s a serious
problem where will we put a ll
our wa ste?
Reduces pollution from landfills.
Creates nu trient-rich mu lch you
can use to fertilize an d imp rove the
texture of your yard a nd garden
soil; saves mon ey you m ight spend
on mulch or fertilizer.
8. Wha t are some possible problem s
with comp ostin g? Are th ey really
problems? Here are som e potentia l
problems a nd a nswers:
Its too mu ch work. Once you
have established your composting
site, comp osting ta kes very little
time a nd effort. If you m a ke it into
a routine, comp ostin g is easy. If
you wa n t to do less work, leaveyour gra ss clippings on the la wn
an d plan t low-ma intena nce lawn
covers. Follow the gu idelines in
Yard Ca re: Do You r Sha re (see
Resources).
Youd ha ve to run ou tside every
tim e you eat an a pple or peel a
pota to. Just pla ce scraps into a
plastic container with a lid. Keep
the container in or un der the
kitchen sink, then take th e waste to
the com post pile when ever the
container is full.
Yard wastes a nd food scra ps ca n
be thrown a way because they are
not ha rmful to the environm ent.
La nd filled yard wa stes an d food
scrap s take up space a nd m a y
release ha rmful metha ne gas. Food
scrap s put down the ga rbage
disposal end u p in the sewage
system , where treating them can
tax the system a nd cost m oney. If
you can a fford a garba ge disposal,
perha ps you can afford a no
work com poster. Ea sy-to-use,
compa ct and a ttractive comp osting
bins are available commercially.
Contact your garden center or the
DNR Burea u of Solid an d
Hazardous Waste Man agem ent for
details. It might smell an d a ttract rats. If
you m ainta in your comp ost pile
according to basic guidelines in
pu blica tions like Ho m e Com -
post ing: Reap a Heap of
Benefi ts a nd Ho m e Com -
po sting : The Com plete Com -
poster (see Resources), your pile
should n ot sm ell or attra ct rats.
The n eighbors m ight n ot like it. If
you loca te, build a nd m a intain
your pile properly, it shou ld not be
offensive. Ta ke th e op portun ity to
explain wha t you are doing to your
neighbors and why you feel
composting is important.
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Part 2 Readin, Rottin and Rithmetic: Classroom Composting
Goal: To ha ve students learn ab out
recycling in na ture an d a ctua lly
recycle organ ic ma tter by
composting.
Subjects: Science, h ealth , environ-m enta l education, consum er educa-
tion, fa m ily living, voca tiona l
agriculture.
Grades: 4-12.
Materials:
fish a q u a riu m
organ ic waste ma terials (be sure
to add a variety of m a teria ls, not
a ll one kind , i.e., use sa wdust,
ha ir, wood a sh an d leaves in
a ddition to food scraps; avoid
m ea t scrap s, fa ts an d oils, which
inhibit decomposition and in
outdoor com post piles ca n
a ttract dogs, ra ts, raccoons a nd
other a nim als)
lawn fertil izer that contains
nitrogen (bu t not h erbicides or
insecticides) or m a n ure a nd
green gra ss clippings tha t a lso
conta in large am oun ts of
n itrogen. Be ca reful, dont use
too much n itrogen, a carbon :
nitrogen ratio of 25-30:1 is ideal.(Grass clippin gs already h a ve a
carbon :nitrogen ratio of 19:1
while lea ves ha ve a 60:1 ratio.)
soil
1-2 dozen red ear thworms
(obtain from ya rd, garden,
school grou n ds, or local ba it
shop)
th erm om eter
trowel or large kitchen spoon (for
turn ing, or a erating, the pile)
Note: Air circulation is im porta n t to
decomp osition, thu s th e best com-
post bin is on e with wire or screen
sides. Mass also is im porta n t, since
a pproxima tely one cubic ya rd of
comp ost is needed to genera te good
decomp osition temp eratu res (104-
170 F). Th us, an a qua rium , with its
sma ll size an d gla ss sides, is not th e
best com post conta iner. Consider
constructing an outdoor compost
pile with wire sides on th e sch ool
groun ds. For instructions on out-
door comp osting, conta ct: DNR
Burea u of Solid a n d Haza rdous
Waste Man agement.Procedure:
1. Wha t ingredients do you th ink
a re needed to con struct a comp ost
pile? Why? List ingredients. For
example:
soi l : conta ins m icroorgan ism s
tha t h elp decomp osition.
orga nic w astes: such a s leaves,
food scra ps, gra ss clipp ings. Wa stes
should be va ried, includin g
m aterials with both carbon a nd
nitrogen. By a lterna ting layers of
high-carbon a nd high-nitrogen
m a teria ls, you can crea te good
environmental conditions for
decomp osition to occur.
ni trogen: ma ny of the
organisms responsible for
decomposition need nitrogen, thus
nitrogen is necessary for rap id an d
thorou gh d ecomposition . Nitrogen
is foun d na tura lly in orga nic wastes
(higher in green m a teria ls like
grass clippings tha n in brown m a teria ls like dry leaves), a nd in
m a ny comm ercial fertilizers.
w orm s: they eat th e waste,
helping to break it down; m a ke
droppin gs, which en rich the soil;
tunn el through an d aerate the
waste, facilitating decomp osition;
an d eventua lly die an d become
pa rt of the comp ost.
w a ter: n ecessa ry for norm a l
fun ction ing of life. Too m uch water
in a com post pile ma y ma ke it
soggy a nd slow decomp osition by
reducing n eeded ox ygen.
air: the biological activity of
fun gi, bacteria , sm a ll in sects a n d
other orga n ism s results in
decomposition. Most biological
processes require adequ a te
am oun ts of oxygen.
tim e: decomp osition ta kes time.
To speed up decomp osition, aera te
(by turning it over) your pile everyfew days; otherwise, just leave it
an d wait.
h e a t : h eat is produ ced by
chem ica l reactions resulting from
increased biological a ctivity th a t
occurs during decomp osition. Heat
helps sanitize compost by killing
certain organisms (e.g., weed seeds,
pa thogens, ha rmful insect larvae).
m ass: in order to genera te
enough h eat for optim al
decomp osition, the pile mu st
conta in a t least one cubic m eter of
organic material. Thus, the
temperatures generated in a n
a qua rium compost pile ma y be
different from those gen erated in
on e tha t is la rger.
2. Design a plan for ma king a
m ini-comp ost pile in th e cla ssroom.
Decide which in gredients studen ts
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will provide a n d wh ich will be sup-
plied by the tea cher. Set a da te for
constructing your pile.
3. Suggestion s for creating a m ini-
comp ost pile:
a ) Chop th e organ ic wastes into
sma ll pieces. You can leave some
large pieces of the sa m e m a teria ls
to comp a re rates of decomp ositionbetween large and small items.
Wh y migh t there be a difference?
b) Altern a te layers of the m a teria ls
a s follows (am oun ts a re app roxi-
m a te): inch of soil, two inch es of
orga n ic waste, sprinkle of fertilizer,
sprin kle of water, repeat.
c) Cover with a n inch of soil. Wa ter
the pile enou gh to ma ke it m oist
bu t not soggy. It shou ld feel like a
da m p spon ge (it feels m oist, but
you cant squeeze water out of it).
d) Add the ea rthworm s a n d observetheir behavior.
e) Place you r comp ost pile where it
will be at room tem pera ture (not in
direct sun).
4. Place the thermom eter in th e
m iddle of the pile. Wa it a n h our or
so, then record the temp eratu re.
5. Record the tem pera ture from the
sam e location a nd depth, and a t
the sam e tim e each day. Why is it a
good idea to be consistent with
loca tion, depth a nd tim e of record-ing? Does the tem perature cha nge?
Why or why not? Make a gra ph to
show your tem pera ture results.
6. Gently m ix the com post once a
week to aera te it. A good time to
turn the com post is after the tem-
perature pea ks and begins to drop.
Wh y? Be sure to record th e tem -
perature before you turn the com-
post tha t day.
7. Be pa tient. Occa siona lly check
the m oisture an d a dd water if
needed.
8. Make a chart to help you keep a
da ily record of temp eratu re an d
other observations during the next
m on th or two. Observe:
Which m aterials break down the
fastest? Slowest? Why?
Are there any odors? Why do you
think decomposition h as a n odor?
Does the texture of the com post
chan ge? In wh at wa ys?
9 . O nce t he m a t e ri a l s i n your
com pos t p i le h a ve decom pos ed
i n t o h u m u s , c on d u c t t h e s a m e
feel , smel l an d look t est tha t
you d i d i n Pa r t 1 , #2 .
10. Now decide wh a t your class
should do with this rich soil. Whenyou clean out the aqua rium ,
should you dum p the hum us in the
trash; take it outside a n d dig it into
the soil; or use it for growing pla n ts
in th e cla ssroom?
11. Discuss:
How does com posting reduce the
am oun t of waste you would have
thrown out?
What do you think happens to
organic wastes tha t end up in the
landfill? Is the landfill a gigan tic natural
comp ost pile, or are th ere problems
with pla cing large am oun ts of
organ ic m a teria l in lan dfills? (no
air, limited moisture, etc.)
12. Now tha t you ha ve con structed
an d m aintained a mini-compost
pile in the classroom , how wou ld
you go abou t constructing a nd
ma intaining one at hom e?
Pre- a nd Post-Activity Ques-
t ions:
What is compost ing?
Wha t are the necessary in-
gredients for a good com post pile?
How is composting related to the
concep t of recycling?
How can composting reduce
waste?
Going Beyond:
Create a compost pile as in Part
2, but also add m an ufactured items
like a soda can , pa per clip, bottle
cap, alum inum foil, iron n ail, pen-cil, crayon , pa per, plastic ba g, rub-
ber band, etc. Predict rates of
decomp osition or lack of decom po-
sition an d observe actua l chan ges,
if a ny.
Take a field trip to a loca l woods
or pa rk. Exa m ine a rotting log or
leaf litter. Place a sample of rotting
hum us in a white enam el pan an d
sort th rough it carefully, looking
closely for decom posers. Wha t
decom posers (insects, m ites, fungi,
etc.) ca n you fin d? Wha t do you
think they a re doing? Read a bout
their life histories.
Make a Berlese fun nel to help
you cap ture tiny soil a nim a ls.
Exa m ine them using a m agn ifying
glass or binocula r m icroscope.Make drawings of them an d try to
figure out wha t kind of a nim al they
are. Read about their life histories.
Make a worm composter. (see
Worm s Ea t My Garba ge in
Resources.)
Visit someone who ma intains a
comp ost pile. Why do th ey
compost? Wha t do they do with the
compost? Have they had a ny
problems? Would they recom men d
composting?
Investigate what ha ppens to the
leaves your comm un ity discards
each au tumn . Wha t do you think
should be done with th em?
If your commu nity has a
municipal composting center, take
a field trip to it. Be sure to p repa re
questions to ask the guide.
Have students design
experimen tal com post piles. For
exa m ple, ma ke a pile tha t: is low in
nitrogen; lacks moisture; has little
a ir circula tion; or is m a de of asin gle ingredien t (e.g., just grass
clipp ings). Also create a good
comp ost pile for comp a rison .
Compa re ra tes a nd tem peratures of
decomp osition between piles.
Fill flower pots with d ifferent soil
types, including on e type that h as
your hu m us mixed in. Plan t seeds
or grow seedlings in the pots. Ma ke
4-5 pots with ea ch soil type so tha t
youre comp aring m ore tha n on e
pla nt grown in ea ch type (i.e., so
that you h ave a large enoughsam ple size to m a ke a va lid
judgem ent). Do th e plan ts in
differen t soil types grow a t differen t
ra tes, with differen t vigor, color,
etc? What are possible explanations
for an y differences?
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Is It A Waste?
B a c k g r o u n d : Why do we buy on e product instea d of a n other? Often its beca use of the pa ckaging. Packaging
a ccoun ts for over 30% of all consum er wastes. While pa ckaging is designed to protect mercha n dise, it also is designed
to sell produ cts. Excess an d n on -recycla ble pa ckaging a dd to our en ergy an d waste problems. Th e pa ckaging ind ustry
h a s been respon ding to th e solid wa ste problem. On e of their solutions is light-weighting or reducin g the a m oun t of
m ateria l used to ma ke a pa ckage. Consum ers can help too.
Goal: To h a ve studen ts in vestigate
the purpose of pa ckaging a nd iden-
tify ways to reduce the a m oun t of
pa cka ging they throw away.
Subjects: Fa m ily living, consum er
educa tion, socia l studies, lan gua ge
arts, health, science, environmental
education.
Grades: 4-12
Procedure:
1. Bring in a n ex a m ple of food
packaging. Discuss:
Why is the product pa ckaged?
(To p rotect th e produ ct, hold
product during shipping, prevent
spoila ge, protect hea lth, preventtheft, provide con venience, ma ke
the product look more a ppea ling,
etc.)
Is the p ackaging essential?
wasteful? Why or why not? Wha t
criteria a re you u sin g to ma ke your
decision?
Wha t influence do you think
pa cka ging h as on th e sala bility of
the p roduct?
Does the pa ckaging benefit your
lifestyle?
How does the pa ckaging a ffect
the qu a lity of the produ ct?
2. Design a way to ca tegorize the
pa ckaging. For exa m ple, sort it
according to na tural pa cka ging
(ba na na s, a pples, pea nu ts); older
pa cka ging (pa per bags, returna ble
glass bottles); a n d m odern pa ck-
a ging (pla stic wra p, polystyrene,
plastic milk bottles). Discuss:
Part 1 All Wrapped Up
What happens to the packaging
on ce the produ ct is used?
Which packaging is/isnt
recyclable?
Which pa ckaging is/isnt ma de
from recycled m a teria ls? renewa ble
resources?
What are the environm ental pros
a nd cons of m aking a nd disposing
of each type of packa ging?
Which packaging would you
label most wasteful? least
wasteful? Why?
If this pa cka ging didnt exist,
h ow would you r lifestyle be
affected?
3. Brain storm ways tha t you couldreduce the am oun t of pa ckaging
you pu rcha se. For exa m ple, could
you purchase products in bulk?
How would this h elp reduce pack-
a ging? (A 3 oun ce tube of tooth-
paste requires 50% more packaging
per ounce tha n a 7 ounce tube.)
Wha t problems could develop as a
result of your choice? (Som e food
bou ght in b ulk migh t spoil before
you ea t a ll of it.)
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-t ions:
List three exam ples each of
recycla ble an d n on -recycla ble
packaging.
Wha t criteria might you consider
when deciding whether pa ckaging
is necessa ry? wasteful?
What ha ppens to most of the
pa ckaging you purcha se? Wha t
can you do to cha nge this?
8.63oz.
$
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Part 2 Whats the Appeal?
Television
Radio
Print(magazines,n
ewspapers)
Other
Status
NewandImproved
Convenien
ce
Sex A
ppeal
Symbols
Self-Image
FamousPeople
FlashyPackaging
Band
Wagon
VaguePronouns
Keepingup with th
eJoneses
Other
Nam e of Product
Goal: To have students quantify
the n um ber of times television a n d
ra dio a ds try to sell products for
reasons not related to product qua l-
ity a nd list some of the techn iquesa dvertisers use to prom ote produ cts.
Subjects: Socia l studies, la ngu a ge
a rts, con sum er edu cation, fa m ily
living, environm enta l education.
Grades: 7-12
Procedure:
1. Find sa m ples of differen t adver-
tisem ents for the sa m e type of prod-
uct (soda, a thletic shoes, detergent,
pota to ch ips). Select ads for differ-
ent na me-bra nds an d types of
pa ckaging. Discuss:
Which product would you buy?
Why?
Wha t is a dvertising? Wha t is the
pu rpose of ad vertisin g?
Does advertising influence wha t
you bu y? How?
Which advertisement do you like
best? Why?
Do your reasons have anything
to do with the qu a lity or fun ction of
the product?
Do you purchase na me-bran ditems instead of generic items?
Why?
2. Discuss ways in which products
a re promoted on television, radio
a nd in print. Ana lyze at least 25
ads. Note the following:
Wha t strategy does the
a dvertiser u se to sell the
product?
Wha t is the advertisementreally selling: convenience?
hea lth? sex a ppea l? status?
fun ? qua lity?
Does the advertisement
mention the packaging?
Is the packaging reusable
or recycla ble?
Does the ad suggest wha t
you should do with the
packaging?
3. Design a cha rt to help
a n a lyze cha racteristics of
these ads. A sample follows
(feel free to a dd o ther catego ries):
4. Ma ke a composite cha rt tha t
shows the results of a ll th e surveys
done by students. Discuss:
Which ma rketing strategies are
used mo st often to prom ote
packaged products?
Wha t strategies were used that
were n ot listed on the sam ple form?
What usual ly happens to the
packaging?
Who should be responsible forwhat h app ens to the packaging
once th e produ ct is used:
m an ufacturer? governm ent?
citizens? consum ers?
Pre- a nd P ost-Activity Ques-
t ions:
Nam e three reasons you buy one
type of pa ckaged produ ct instead of
another.
How often are your rea sons based
on th e qua lity or function of the
product?
Discuss ways in which
a dvertisemen ts ma y influen ce what
you choose to pu rcha se.
8/9/2019 Recyling Studies
22/3622
Part 3 How Many Ways Can You Wrap An Apple?
Goal: To h a ve studen ts design
pa ckaging an d a dvertising strate-
gies to sell a produ ct, a na lyze why
they decided on th eir strategies a n d
consider why they bu y one produ ct
instead of an other.
Subjects: Socia l studies, la ngu a ge
a rts, art, dram a, environm enta l
education.
Grades: 6-12.
Materials: An a pple or other ob-
ject (ha m m er, ch ilds toy, ba tteries)
for each student or group of stu-
den ts. Ea ch studen t or group shou ld
ha ve the sam e item.
Procedure:1. You h a ve just gotten a job as a n
a dvertising a gent for an ap ple com-
pa n y (you can work either in di-
vidua lly or with a group of other
studen ts). Your first assignm en t is to
develop an ad cam paign an d pack-
a ging design to sell ap ples. Keep
track of the rea sons you chose your
pa rticular design a nd sa les pitch .
Your campaign can consist of skits,
poem s, songs, posters or wha tever
you believe will sell the p rodu ct.
2. Present your ad cam pa ign to the
class.
3. Display the produ cts (num -
bered in some wa y). Vote for the
a pp le you would buy (each class
m ember shou ld vote an onym ously
on slips of scrap paper). Tally the
results. Discuss:
Why did you choose the product
you did?
How much packagi
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