Zero Waste Management

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Suggested Time Frame: 3 class periods The Zero Waste

Class Period 1
• Engage – Environmental footprint Project
• Explore – Assign Zero Waste Project
Recycling Economics
Class Period 2
• Explain – Zero Waste presentations and voting Suggested Grade Level: High School
• Elaborate – Assign community stakeholder
Program Goal: Through design of a zero waste
research
model, students will gain an increased under-
Class Period 3 standing of the process and factors involved in
• Elaborate – Present arguments at “community moving a community to zero waste for increased
meeting”
resource recovery and conservation.
• Evaluate – Discuss and present ideas to local
recycling representative Concepts Covered: zero waste; resource recovery;
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to: life cycle of materials; waste prevention; linear
1. Give at least three reasons why cities have system; cyclical system
waste diversion programs.
2. Understand the difference between linear and
cyclical systems.
3. Define the term “zero waste” and understand its
Engage
role in the economics of waste prevention and As a group, talk the students through the
recycling.
“Environmental Footprint” calculator at http://
4. List at least three factors to consider in
myfootprint.org/. This quiz demonstrates the
becoming a zero waste community.
amount of land and ocean required to sustain
Standards: Missouri Standards: High School Science your consumption patterns and absorb your
• Strand 4: Changes in Ecosystems and Interac- waste on an annual basis. It ends up telling you
tions of Organisms with their Environment
“How many ‘earths’ we would need if everyone
1Ca, 1Cb, 2Ba, 2Bc
had the same habits as you.”
• Strand 7: Scientific Inquiry
1Ca, 1Da, 1Db, 1Ea, 1Eb, 1Ec
• What do you think of the results?
• Strand 8: Impact of Science, Technology and
Human Activity • Are you surprised?
1Ba, 1Ca, 3A, 3Ba, 3Bb, 3Bc, 3Da, 3Db
• Do you think every place is like this?
Materials:
• What does this say about waste production?
Materials Included:
• Pre and Post Assessment • What types of waste do we produce at
• “Zero Waste Planning” worksheet school? At home? Is it the same everywhere?
• “Community Feedback” worksheet • What kinds of problems can this lead to?
Teacher Provided Materials: Increased cost to manage waste, need for
• Soda can or other commonly used item space to put all of the waste, environmen-
tal impacts such as pollution and increased

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The Zero Waste Project 2

greenhouse gas production.


• What are some solutions? Take answers from the students, but be sure to include “reducing
resources used, recovering and reusing resources when possible, and recycling” in the
answers.
• How many of you recycle at home? What kinds of things do you recycle? Does everyone in your
family recycle?
• Does your family compost?
Ask the students why they think cities have recycling and composting programs. Possible answers
include:

• Less discards in landfills


• Less discards incinerated
• Make money on recycled materials
• Demand from the residents
• Environmental benefit to the community
• Economic benefit to the community (recycling creates more jobs than landfilling)
Ask the students why they think states (like Missouri) have bans on yard waste in landfills. Possible
answers may include:

• Divert organic waste from landfills. When organic wastes decompose under anaerobic condi-
tions, such as are present in a landfill, the greenhouse gas methane is produced.
• Create a useful product that can be used as soil amendment for horticultures and agriculture.
• Grow the economy and jobs through the composting industry.

Explore
Hold up an aluminum soda can or some other product that is commonly used or consumed every
day. Ask the students how many of them have used that product in the last few days. What did
they do with it when they were done? Did they ever stop to think what it took to create that product or
what happens to it when they dispose of it?

Explain that to make the best decisions, it is important to be as aware as possible about the life
cycle, or the total process of creating, using and disposing of materials or products made from
the Earth’s resources. A good overview of a life cycle of a product can be found at http://www.
extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD5569.html.

Show the students the soda can or other item again. Ask them to list the steps in the life cycle of

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The Zero Waste Project 3

that product. This should include things such as extracting the raw materials, transporting those
materials to a factory where they can be processed into the product, transporting the product to
a retail location, purchasing of the product by the consumer and then disposal of the product. As
these steps are listed, they should be recorded in a horizontal line on the board. Ask the students
to describe what the list looks like—a line! And if the process goes in one direction, ending with
disposal in a landfill or some other permanent method, it’s referred to as a linear system.

Ask the students:

• What’s the problem with a linear system? It assumes an endless supply of resources.
• Is that really the case in the real world? No.
• What are some other alternatives to permanent disposal of the product when the consumer is
done? Reuse or recycle the product.
Draw an arrow from the disposal step around and back into the processing step. This is referred to
as a cyclical system because resources are incorporated back into the production process.

• What are the benefits of a cyclical system? Cyclical systems save energy, resources and money
needed for extraction and transportation and keeps waste out of the landfill.
Tell the students the name of this activity is the “Zero Waste Project.” Ask the students what they
think the term “zero waste” means. They might be able to guess from the terms used that it means
that no waste is produced, and they are essentially correct. Explain that the only peer-reviewed
internationally accepted definition of Zero Waste was developed by the Zero Waste International
Alliance (ZWIA) to assist businesses and communities in defining their own goals for Zero Waste:

“Zero Waste is a goal that is both pragmatic and visionary, to guide people to emulate sustain-
able natural cycles, where all discarded materials are resources for others to use. Zero Waste
means designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of
waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Imple-
menting Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat to
planetary, human, animal or plant health.”

In simpler terms, it means that the transition to zero waste, that is, to a “cradle-to-cradle” future in
which products are designed to be cycled back into products, organics are cycled safely back into
soil, toxins that cannot be safely recycled are banned, and discards that cannot be recycled are
specially treated and buried in ever-diminishing landfills (http://www.sierraclub.org/committees/
zerowaste/policies/).

In addition, the waste being referred to is not only at the end of a product’s life, but throughout
the whole process of extraction, production and consumption of that product. This shift from
a linear system to a cyclical system with no waste requires a shift in both the consumer and
producers’ mindset and decisions.

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The Zero Waste Project 4

Divide the students into teams of 3–4 and present the following scenario to the students: “The
community wants more/better recycling! Your job is to develop a model zero waste program for
this community.” Direct students to use the worksheet to help guide their research, which includes
factors such as:

• Benefits to the community


• Possible negative impacts
• Types of materials recycled
• Types of organics composted
• Who will be impacted by these services
• How you will collect those materials
• Frequency of trash, organic, and recycling collection
• How you will get the community to participate?
• What steps need to occur for each of these scenarios to become a reality?
• And if you’re really feeling up to, a budget for the program!
Good places to start researching these questions are:

• Grass Roots Recycling Network Zero Waste Communities page (http://www.grrn.org/page/


zero-waste-community)
• Zero Waste Alliance (http://www.zerowaste.org/)
• EPA’s Wastewise program (http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm/wastewise/index.htm)
Students should also look at other zero waste communities to see how they manage their
programs and what sort of results are they getting. Information can often be found on that com-
munity’s official website.

Explain
Using PowerPoint or Prezi (or some other format) have students present their plan to the rest of
the class, giving strong arguments as to why their plan is the best. Be sure to let the students ask
each other questions as the plans are presented.

Once all presentations have been completed, let the students vote to select one option.

Once results are in, let the students discuss why they chose one option over another.

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Elaborate
Now that a plan has been selected, divide the class into groups of 2–4 and assign each a role in the
community, including:

• A local business
• Waste hauler
• Local politician
• Local resident
• Recycling facility manager
• Compost facility manager
• Landfill manager
Have each group research and come up with rationale either for or against the chosen program.
Be sure to have groups discuss the short and long term impacts of each option.

Students may wish to contact local entities such as theirs to discuss how zero waste programs
have worked (if at all) for them.

Once the research is completed, tell each group to select a “spokesperson” to explain their position
on the selected zero waste program to the rest of the class at the ensuing “community meeting”.

Hold a “community meeting” with the class to, once again, present the final plan. Let representa-
tives from each group present their opinions to the rest of the class. Does anyone object? Are their
reasons valid? Can something be done to revise the program to meet these concerns?

Develop a final plan for the community. What do the students think the next step would include?

Evaluate
Explain that there is no national law that mandates waste diversion, so state and local govern-
ments often introduce recycling requirements. Bring a local recycling representative to the class
to have them discuss any local and state laws or requirements regarding recycling, household
hazardous waste, and other solid waste products.

When the representative is in the class, have the students present their final recycling plan to that
person and get their feedback.

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Extensions
Refer to “Recycling Rules” activity in the Community to Classroom 3R’s Education Lessons found on
the St. Louis County Resourceful Schools website at http://www.resourcefulschools.org/teachers/les-
son-plans/grade-5-pick-up-a-new-attitude-waste-watchers-recycling-rules for more activities about
recycling. Even though this lesson is geared to a fifth grade level, there is some great information
about how recycled materials are processed at a recycling facility.

Have students view “The Story of Stuff” YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/


watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8. What do they think? Facing the Future has an entire two-week unit of
lessons focusing on consumerism, correlated to this video, and is available as a free download at
https://www.facingthefuture.org/Curriculum/PreviewandBuyCurriculum/tabid/550/CategoryID/4/
List/1/Level/a/ProductID/1/Default.aspx.

Pre and Post Assessment


These questions can be used to assess the students understanding of the topics covered in this
lesson. Ask the students the same questions before and after the unit using the Student Copy
Page. Answers are given on the Teacher Answer Page.

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The Zero Waste Project 7

Name:_______________________________________

Student Copy Page

Pre and Post Assessment Questions for


The Zero Waste Project

Short Answer Questions


1. List three reasons why a city might have a waste diversion program. (3 points)

2. Describe the difference between a linear and cyclical system. (2 points)

3. Define zero waste. (1 point)

4. How can a recycling business earn more money as the amount of recyclable materials
collected increases? (2 points)

5. List two factors to be considered in a community zero waste program. (2 points)

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Teacher Answer Page

Pre and Post Assessment Questions for


The Zero Waste Project

Short Answer Questions


1. List three reasons why a city might have a waste diversion program. (3 points)
• Less discards going to a landfill, which saves the community money and helps the
environment
• Make money on recycled and composted items
• Demand from community
• Environmental benefit for the community

2. Describe the difference between a linear and cyclical system. (2 points)


In linear systems materials move in one direction through a product’s life cycle,
ending with permanent disposal. In cyclical systems materials and waste products are
recovered and incorporated back into the production process.

3. Define zero waste. (1 point)


Products are designed to be cycled back into products, organics are cycled safely
back into soil, toxins that cannot be safely recycled are banned, and discards that
cannot be recycled are specially treated and buried in landfills.

4. How can a recycling business earn more money as the amount of recyclable materials
collected increases? (2 points)
Fixed costs will remain relatively steady, but the amount available for variable costs
will increase.

5. List two factors to be considered in a community zero waste program. (2 points)


• Types of materials recycled
• How will the materials be collected
• Frequency of collection
• How will you get the community to participate
• Budget

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Student Copy Page

Zero Waste Planning

Team Members’ Names:______________________________________________________________

1. List at least three different types of zero-waste programs and the communities or organi-
zations that have instituted those programs. Include feedback you found regarding each
program such as how well it was received, what worked and what didn’t work, what was
involved in instituting the program, and any other related information.
Program #1:
Community/Organization:
Notes:


Program #2:
Community/Organization:
Notes:

Program #3:
Community/Organization:
Notes:

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Student Copy Page

Zero Waste Planning (continued)

2. Now your group needs to develop their own zero waste program for this community. Describe
your program below, which can be similar to one of the programs listed above, a combination
of those programs, or one your team develops on their own.
Types of materials recycled?

Types of organics composted?

Who will be impacted by these services?

How you will collect those materials?

Frequency of trash, organic and recycling collection?

How you will get the community to participate?

What steps need to occur for each of these scenarios to become a reality?

What are the fixed costs (costs that remain the same, no matter how much business is done) and
variable costs (costs that change depending on what’s going on—they can rise and fall as business
increases or decreases or unexpected expenses arise) for this program? How will you generate
revenue to cover those costs? How will that revenue increase as the amount of recyclables
increases?

Other information:

3. Now that you have designed a program, prepare a presentation to describe your program and
explain why you made the choices you did. Be sure to include discussion points on benefits to
the community and possible negative impacts.

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Student Copy Page

Community Feedback

Team Members’ Names:______________________________________________________________

1. Role in the community:

2. Possible short-term impacts of this program to our role in the community:

3. Possible long-term impacts of this program to our role in the community:

4. Therefore, our group likes/dislikes (circle one) the proposed zero waste program because…
(Describe your rationale for the decision below. Be sure to list specific reasons you are for or
against the program.)

5. What are some alternatives you might suggest to the program that would benefit your role?

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The Zero Waste Project 12

Activities for this lesson were composed by the EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical
Garden (http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org), 2012.

Funding for these lessons is provided in part by the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management
District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Additional funding provided by voter-
approved St. Louis County Landfill surcharge fees.

Missouri Department
of Natural Resources

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