Students will analyze and try to improve their own waste generation habits. In addition, they will develop and implement a plan to reduce waste generated in their school.
This is one of 8 activities that can be found in PLT’s Exploring Environmental Issues: Municipal Solid Waste. To get the activity, attend a training and receive PLT’s Municipal Solid Waste secondary module. Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
Download the copyright-free student pages that are included with this activity:
Waste Reduction Tips for Schools (PDF)
Tips for Creating a Waste Reduction Program in Your School (PDF)
School Waste Reduction and Recycling Case Studies (PDF)
Success in Seattle (PDF)
Spanish Student Page(s):
Estudios sobre el Reciclaje y la Reduccion de Desechos en los Planteles Escolares (PDF)
El Exito en Seattle (PDF)
Consejos para Reducir los Desechos en las Escuelas (PDF)
Consejos para Organizar un Programa de Reduccion de Desechos en tu Escuela (PDF)
The following tools and resources may be used to enhance the activity.
US EPA Facts and Figures About Materials, Waste and Recycling website has information on municipal solid waste in the United States. The data includes information on energy recovery and landfills as well.
We toss items into the trash every day – about 4.4 pounds per person per day, on average. With garbology, the study of waste, students can learn about waste reduction and steps they can take to reduce the amount of trash on the planet. This website’s interactive interface allows students to learn about the recycling, reusing, composting, and disposing of several everyday items.
At this EPA website, students can learn about four different types of hazardous waste (groundwater contamination, surface water contamination, soil contamination, and air contamination) and how to clean up each type. Later, students can test their knowledge of hazardous wastes with the Superfund Scavenger Hunt or Superfund quiz.
Thirty-two percent of the plastics produced each year flow into our oceans. Here are a few ways you can encourage your students to reflect on how much plastic they use and how they can reduce their plastic consumption to protect the environment.
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