Envi Handouts
Envi Handouts
Envi Handouts
1EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (5305W)
Washington, DC 20460
EPA530-R-05-005
June 2005
www.epa.gov/osw
Activities and
Resources for
Teaching K-8
Special Thanks
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste would like to thank all of the
teachers and students who contributed their thoughts and ideas to the development of the first
edition of this resource in 1998 and 1999. Focus groups with teachers and students were held in
Kansas City, Kansas; Alexandria, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
We would also like to extend thanks to a very special group of educators who served as a review panel
for this resource during its development from May 1999 through July 2000:
In addition, EPA would also like to thank the following reviewers who helped in the development of
the 2005 version of this document:
And finally, EPA would like to acknowledge the very special contribution of William E. Gooding, Jr.,
an AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) intern with the Office of Solid Waste from
August 2004 to August 2005, to the Quest for Less revision. We appreciated his hard work and
dedication to the task!
Disclaimer: Publication of this document by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does
not constitute an endorsement of any specific consumer product.
ii
About This Resource
Goals of This Resource
The Quest for Less is designed for teachers in
grades K-8 to use as one of the many tools in the
development of lesson plans. Activities and con- • To stimulate young people to think critically
cepts in this resource can be incorporated into about their own actions and the results of
existing curricula, or teachers can create special their actions and to assess their own
week-long units on the environment and solid resource conservation and waste preven-
waste or use the activities to commemorate Earth tion values.
Day. • To help young people understand the con-
This guide provides hands-on lessons and activ- nections among the use of natural resources,
ities, enrichment ideas, journal writing use of products, waste disposal, and causes
assignments, and other educational tools relat- and effects of environmental impacts.
ed to preventing and reducing waste. Its • To help students understand the hierarchy of
multidisciplinary focus includes math, science, preferred waste management options and
art, social studies, language arts, and health. students' role in the different options (e.g.,
Lessons encourage students to utilize skills reducing, reusing, and recycling are better
ranging from reading and writing to problem- than throwing things away).
solving and analytical thinking.
• To introduce and explain behaviors that con-
This resource introduces the idea of natural serve resources, reduce environmental
resources as a source for many products that impacts, and enhance sustainability such as
become solid waste; explains the quantity and source reduction, recycling, buying recycled,
type of waste products create; and reviews the buying with less packaging, and composting.
common methods of managing solid waste,
• To help protect children's health through
including recycling, composting, landfilling,
increased awareness and behavioral
incinerating, and preventing waste in the first
changes related to the safe use, storage,
place. It also includes some information about
and disposal of household products con-
hazardous waste.
taining hazardous constituents, such as
Each chapter in The Quest for Less includes one cleaners, pesticides, and batteries.
or more fact sheets that provide background
• To help students understand the concept of
information on a topic and an index showing
personal responsibility toward the environ-
the grade ranges, subject areas, and skills used
ment and to inspire them to make a
for each activity.
positive environmental impact in their
Each activity, in turn, provides a suggested home, school, and community.
duration, materials needed, and other helpful
• To make solid waste education interesting,
information for teachers. A glossary of terms
fun, and an integral part of environmental
and a glossary of skills can be found at the end
education.
of the resource.
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/education/index.htm
Waste
In this unit, teachers and students will develop a foundation for under-
standing the importance of managing waste properly. Students will learn
where the products they use every day come from and how much and
what kind of waste these products create. They also will learn that waste
is not only created by throwing things away, but it also can be produced
by human activities such as mining raw materials from the ground and
manufacturing goods in factories. This part of the resource will help stu-
dents understand why it is important to prevent waste in the first place,
recycle, compost, and reuse—activities they will learn more about in the
next unit.
Products
Natural Resources
1
. . ..5
h e et: . . . . . 11
c t S . . . .
e r Fa s o u r c e s . . ...
c h 1) .
Tea ral Re s K-
Nat
u
p (Gra
d e
. . . 13
r e Rom a p ade . . . . .
u s c .
Nat t e mE..... 5
E c
s
osy ) . . . U s e ....1
An des 1-3 u rce . . . .
(Gra d R s o
e ... . . 17
s s an . . . . es 5
-6 )
e u . r a d
Dr. Sdes 2-3) u r c e s (G
a k e to 19
(Gr a
Res o T
s It -6) . . .
o f o e
rces p le D Grades 5
Sou n
e o
y P tem? (
M a sys
How an Eco
Ruin
3
Grade • Subject • Skills Index
Activity Nature Romp An Ecosystem Dr. Seuss and Sources of How Many
Name Escapade Resource Use Resources People Does It
Take to Ruin an
Ecosystem?
K ✔
1 ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Grade Range
3 ✔ ✔
4
5 ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔
Math
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Subjects Covered
Science
Language Arts ✔
Social Studies ✔ ✔
Art ✔ ✔
Health
Communication ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Reading ✔
Research ✔
Skills Used*
Computation
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔ ✔
Motor Skills ✔ ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Organisms within an ecosystem are connected by energy. Individuals in a community feed on each
other, thus transferring energy along a food chain or food web. In a food chain, energy is trans-
ferred from one organism to another in a linear form. For example, the sun provides fuel for a fig
tree, which provides sustenance for wasps. The wasps are a food source for spiders, which are
eaten by birds. More complex food webs can be thought of as a network, involving energy transfers
among several organisms.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on natural resources and solid waste:
To order the following item on municipal solid waste, call EPA toll-free at (800) 490-9198 or look on
the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
Nature Romp
Science
An Ecosystem Escapade
science
To learn how animals and plants depend on each other Food chain
in ecosystems. Food web art
Ecosystem
• Paper or cardboard
• Crayons or markers Communications
• Scissors and string Motor skills
• Hole-punch
Step 5: Have students suggest “thneeds” that 1. Break students into groups of approximately
they often use (e.g., clothes, food, books). five students. Have students rewrite The Lorax
Instruct students to go home that night and think so that the Truffula tree forest and its inhabi-
about how they can consume less resources tants are saved. Students can use this to
while still using their thneeds. One example is develop a script and act out their own story
buying used clothing instead of new clothing. in front of the class.
Instruct students to bring in their thneed for a
“show and tell” activity the following day. 2. Instruct students to create a collage of their
needs and wants, labeling them “thneeds”
and “thwants,” by cutting pictures out of
magazines. Once the collages are complete,
Day 2: “Show and Tell” ask the students to tell the class about
opportunities to use less resources with the
Step 1: Have students present their thneed
thneeds and thwants.
and explain their solution for consuming less
resources while using their thneed. If the student
cannot think of a solution, ask the class to con-
tribute its ideas.
Sources of Resources
science
Step 2: Have a brainstorming session with 3. Ask students to explain and discuss the
students to identify well-known resources such as importance of monitoring resource consump-
those listed in the “Valuable Natural Resources” tion. Also, discuss why it is important to
sidebar. Try to come up with at least as many develop and discover alternatives to certain
resources as there are students in the class. resources.
Write the list on the chalkboard.
Step 4: Instruct students to research their cho- 1. Have students research, via the Internet or
sen resource. They should use library and the school library, information on our global
Internet resources to investigate the dominant population and specific resource quantities.
sources and uses for their resource. Students Have them calculate and record figures to
should also research consumption of their determine the approximate future supply of
resource and analyze whether their resource particular resources.
might become depleted in the near future. 2. Have students pick their favorite resource
and identify ways to conserve it. With this
Step 5: Display a large map of the world in
information, have students write and act out
the front of the classroom.
a skit that exemplifies resource conservation
Step 6: Have students write the name of their practices.
resource on several small pieces of paper. 3. Conduct a geology lesson that incorporates
Step 7: Have students present information a discussion of the formation of some com-
about their resource to the class, discussing their mon natural resources (e.g., coal, petroleum,
research conclusions. Students should begin diamonds). Ask students why all resources
their presentation by telling the class what their are not located right in their backyards.
resource is and where it is most typically found. Discuss what this means in terms of resource
Students should pin the paper that labels their availability (e.g., how we get resources from
resource on the map at the appropriate regions. other countries).
Additionally, students should discuss whether the
resource is renewable or nonrenewable and tell
the class some of the resource uses and any
associated consumption issues.
Communications
• Red stickers • Cardboard Motor skills
• Green stickers • String
• Black stickers
23
Grade • Subject • Skills Index
Activity
A Matching Tracing Trash Putting Products Let’s Go Eco- A Product’s
Name
Match Back to Its Roots Under the Shopping Life
Microscope
K ✔
1 ✔
2
Grade Range
3 ✔
4 ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔
7 ✔ ✔
8 ✔ ✔
Math
Subjects Covered
Science ✔ ✔ ✔
Language Arts ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Social Studies ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Art ✔ ✔
Health
Communication ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Reading ✔
Research ✔ ✔
Skills Used*
Computation
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔ ✔ ✔
Motor Skills ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on designing and purchasing products with the
environment in mind:
To order the following additional documents on municipal solid waste and product life cycle, call EPA
toll-free at (800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
A Matching Match
social
science
Observation/classification
• Copies of the Matching Match worksheet for Motor skills
each student
• Crayons
Step 1: Discuss with students that every- 1. Ask the students to name other items that
thing we use is made from a natural resource, are made from the same natural resources
such as a plant or other resource that comes that are listed on the worksheet.
from the Earth. Some products also come 2. Ask students to list other plants and ani-
from animals. Provide examples by talking mals that products are made from.
about what students are wearing or items in
the classroom and the sources of those items.
Step 2: Either individually or in groups,
have the students use the Matching Match
worksheets to match the different products 1. Pick a product that is made in your local
with their natural resource. community, such as paper, ice cream, or
Step 3: Encourage the students to color the wool sweaters, and take the students on a
pictures. field trip to see how it is made. Ideally, stu-
dents would see how a raw material is
converted into a product.
cotton
plant
leather
jacket
bread
newspaper
tree
sheep
milk
cotton t-shirt
wool hat
cow
wheat
wool sweater
Communication
• Copies of bingo card for each student (make copies Problem solving
and then cut sheets so half the students get one version
of the bingo card and half get a different version).
Common Products
Step 1: Review and explain the vocabulary Aluminum can Grocery bag
words above. Explain that most products are Aluminum lawn chair Hamburger
made from natural resources. (Refer to the
Teacher Fact Sheets titled Natural Resources Apple core Leather jacket
on page 5 and Products on page 25 for back- Bicycle tire Linen pants
ground information.)
Bologna sandwich Milk container
Step 2: List five categories of natural
Book Mirror
resources on the blackboard: animals, fossil
fuels, metals, plants/trees, and sand. Discuss Bread Nylon pantyhose
with students some examples of products that
Cereal box Sandwich bag
are made from these natural resources.
Brainstorm a list of things that are made from Cotton shirt Soda bottle
natural resources (mostly everything!) and Egg shells Window
make another list on the blackboard. Make
sure there are at least five products for each Glass bottle of juice Wool hat
natural resource category. Encourage students
to think of food and beverage items and con-
Name:
___________________________________________________
The Quest for Less Unit 1, Chapter 1.2, Products 33
Grades 5-6
language
arts
To have students evaluate a product to determine its Products
resource use and overall impacts on the environment. Manufacturing process
Raw materials
Resources
Ecosystems social
studies
Name of Product:________________________________________
art
Research products that students buy and discuss their
environmental attributes.
_________________________ _____________________________
______________________________
____________________________
__________________________
_____________________
To teach students the concept of product life cycles, “Cradle to Grave” art
including the various steps and related environmen- Extraction
tal issues involved. Life cycle
Manufacturing
Processing
Remanufactured products science
Recovered materials
Using the Life Cycle of a CD or DVD and/or Life Cycle of a Virgin resources
Cell Phone or other life cycle posters as an example of a (natural resources)
product life cycle, students research the steps involved in a
product’s life cycle and present their findings to the class.
Step 2: Move on to more in-depth discus- 1. Oral presentations can be judged and grad-
sions of the various steps of a product’s life ed on the following criteria:
cycle. Be sure to define each step: raw materials
acquisition/extraction, materials processing, • Comprehension of life cycle concept and
manufacturing, product packaging, distribution, comprehension of individual step in the
use (lifespan), and end use (reuse, recycling, life cycle.
disposal). Discuss how each of these steps can • Effectiveness of presentation
have environmental consequences. • Creativity
• Completeness
Step 3: Investigate the life cycle of an every- • Research method and sources
day item. Have the class select one or two • Ability to work in a group
products whose life cycles they would like to 2. Ask the students if knowing more about a
research. Choose a common product, such as product’s life cycle might affect their decision
one used often in class or at home. (For exam- to buy the product. Discuss the choices we
ple: calculator, radio, remote control, light bulb, have as consumers. (Refer to the Let’s Go
pencil sharpener, computer keyboard or mouse.) Eco-Shopping activity on page 39 for more
information.)
Step 4: Divide the class into research teams
for each item chosen. As a homework assign-
ment or an in- class activity, have students work
in groups of three or four individuals to research
an individual step of the chosen product’s life
1. Compare the lifespan of various products
cycle. Students can use the library, Internet, and
and how this relates to product life cycles.
other resources, including those listed on the
For example, compare the environmental
Teacher Fact Sheets in this binder.
impacts of various types of cameras (dispos-
able vs. traditional film vs. digital) as they
Day 2 relate to product life cycles. Include a discus-
Step 5: Direct the students to use their find- sion of the advantages/disadvantages of
ings to organize a short presentation to the each product option.
class. Give each group a handful of index cards 2. Using the same groups created for the main
on which they can write down notes. Have each activity, create a graphic display of the cho-
group give an oral presentation to the entire sen product’s life cycle.
class on what they discovered through their
research. Be sure to only discuss one product’s a. Have each group of students create a
life cycle at a time and have the groups present graphic display of their step of the life
in the proper order of the steps of a life cycle cycle. Encourage the students to be cre-
(i.e., materials extraction, then processing, then ative but ask that each display indicates
manufacturing, etc.). Encourage the students to movement from one step of the life cycle
be creative, including using props or other visu- to the next.
al means of presenting their information. b. After each team gives their oral presenta-
tion, have the class work together to
display the final product in sequential
order along the walls of the room, in the
hallway, or a similar appropriate space.
(The end result may look similar to The
Life Cycle of a CD or DVD poster when
completed.)
45
Grade • Subject • Skills Index
Activity Beware of Trash Art Weigh Your Trash Time (Hazardous)
Name
Mr. Yuk Waste Travelers Waste Not
K ✔ ✔
1 ✔ ✔
✔
Grade Range
3 ✔
4 ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔ ✔
Math ✔
✔
Subjects Covered
Science
Language Arts ✔
Social Studies ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Art ✔ ✔
Health ✔
Communication ✔
Reading ✔
Research ✔
Skills Used*
Computation ✔
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔
Motor Skills ✔ ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on municipal solid waste:
To order the following additional documents on municipal solid waste, call EPA toll-free at
(800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
When individuals dispose of household products from their home that contain hazardous ingredients,
such as pesticides, cleaners, batteries, or used oil, they create what is known as household hazardous
waste. Individuals usually produce much less hazardous waste than businesses and other facilities,
and they are not regulated by EPA. Even so, many communities require or prefer that household haz-
ardous waste is handled separately from the regular garbage to prevent any potential risks to the
environment or human health.
When disposing of household hazardous waste from your home, remember the following:
• Sharing leftover household products is a great way for people to use all of a product and avoid
disposal. If you cannot share or donate leftover products, check with your local environmental or
solid waste agency to see if your community has a facility that collects household hazardous
wastes year-round or offers opportunities for exchanging products with other residents.
• If your community doesn't have a collection program for household hazardous waste, contact your
local environmental or solid waste agency to see if there are any designated days in your area for
collecting these materials. On such days, qualified professionals collect household hazardous
waste at a central location to ensure safe management and disposal.
• If your community has neither a permanent collection site nor a special collection day, you might
be able to drop off certain products, such as batteries, paint, or automotive supplies, at local
businesses for recycling or proper disposal. Call your local environmental or solid waste agency or
Chamber of Commerce for information.
• Some communities allow disposal of household hazardous waste in trash as a last resort. Call
your local environmental or solid waste agency for instructions on proper disposal. Be sure to read
the product label for disposal directions to reduce the risk of products exploding, igniting, leaking,
mixing with other chemicals, or posing other hazards on the way to a disposal facility. Even empty
containers of household hazardous waste can pose hazards due to residue.
moves from place to place; one of the rules by a regulated hazardous transportation compa-
requires the use of a tracking paper known as a ny in special packages with specific labels.
“manifest.” This paper must travel with the waste These trucks often can be identified on the high-
wherever it goes (e.g., wherever it is stored, way by multicolored placards and symbols that
shipped, recycled, or disposed of). indicate the type of hazardous waste they carry.
The Department of Transportation is responsible
Depending on how much waste a facility gener- for regulating these trucks.
ates, it is regulated differently; bigger facilities
that produce a large amount of hazardous Hazardous waste is usually transported to a facil-
waste each month have more rules than those ity that treats, stores, and/or disposes of it. Most
that produce a small amount of waste. hazardous waste must be specially treated with
certain processes to alter its hazardous composi-
After a company or factory generates hazardous tion before it can safely be recovered, reused, or
waste, the waste must be packaged and labeled disposed of. Sometimes waste is stored tem-
in special containers, and it must be transported porarily in a regulated unit. When the waste is
Visit the following Web sites for more information on hazardous waste:
To order the following additional documents on hazardous waste, call EPA toll-free at (800) 490-9198
or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
30 minutes
Students will identify Mr. Yuk stickers in the hidden
picture and color them in bright green to signify
hazard/poison.
Observation/classification
• One copy of the Beware of Mr. Yuk worksheet per Motor skills
student
• One red or green crayon for each student
(Preferably from the fluorescent color box)
Name:
______________________________________
Trash Art
social
studies
✁
Parents’ Note
Dear Parent,
✁
Parents’ Note
Dear Parent,
Students will collect, weigh, record, and analyze the 1 to 2 hours, with period-
amount of trash they generate in the course of a week. ic discussions over the
course of a week
Example:
5 lunch bags Paper I could use a cloth lunch bag each day instead of using paper.
Average amount of waste generated per student per day in our class = [calculated in class]
General Assignment: Ask your interviewee to pick a time in his/her past that is easy to recall in detail.
Ask the interviewee to remember what he/she considered trash at that time (what was thrown out), how
that trash was disposed of, where it was disposed of, and how all of these characteristics compare with
today’s ideas about trash and methods for handling trash.
Interview Questions
Landfilling and
Combustion
Source Reduction, Recycling, Composting,
Landfilling, or Combustion
In this unit, teachers and students will learn the basics of the common
solid waste management options used in the United States today. They
will learn how to prevent waste before it is even created (known as
source reduction), the mechanics and benefits of recycling and buying
recycled products, how to make and use compost, and the realities of
Composting
waste disposal through landfilling and combustion. By learning that trash
doesn’t just “go away,” students will gain an appreciation for how their
everyday actions and decisions affect the environment.
Recycling
Source Reduction
75
.. 79
e et: . . . ...
h
tS n ..
a c
h e r F uctio c k a ging . . 83
c s Pa . . . . .
Tea ce Red r e ’
r u .
Sou g Nat . . . . .
o v e ri n
. . . i r d s . . 85
Disc es K-1) B .
f o r the . . . . .
Just . . . . .
d
(Gra t
s e : N o
. .. d u p . . . 87
Reu es K-4) R oun . . . . .
(Gra
d
u c t io n
. . . . . . 91
Red . . . . . .
r c e 3 - 4)
Sou es 3-6) Gra
des
(Gra
d
i c n i c (
O v er? . . 95
g i c al P I s Left . . . . .
unch . . . . . .
o
Ecol h L
M uc . . .
w
Ho es 5-6)
d
(Gra
77
Grade • Subject • Skills Index
Activity Discovering Reuse: Not Just Source Ecological Picnic How Much
Name Nature’s for the Birds Reduction Lunch Is Left
Packaging Roundup Over?
K ✔ ✔
1 ✔ ✔
✔
Grade Range
3 ✔ ✔ ✔
4 ✔ ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔
Math ✔ ✔
✔ ✔
Subjects Covered
Science
Language Arts ✔
Social Studies ✔
Art ✔ ✔
Health
Communication ✔ ✔
Reading
Research
Skills Used*
Computation ✔ ✔
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔
Motor Skills ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on source reduction and solid waste:
To order the following additional documents on source reduction and municipal solid waste, call EPA
toll-free at (800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
Circle and color the items that have their own natural
packaging. 1 hour
Step 1: Discuss how some food products 1. Ask students what items have their own
have their own natural packaging that protects packaging.
the part people eat. If possible, bring in exam- 2. Ask students what we can do with natural
ples of items that have natural packaging packaging instead of throwing it away.
(e.g., bananas, unshelled nuts, oranges) and
others that do not (e.g., cheese, crackers,
soda). Discuss how nature’s packaging can be
used in compost, which returns materials to
the earth. Refer to the Teacher Fact Sheet titled
1. Start a vermicomposting bin in the class to
Composting on page 141 for background
demonstrate how nature’s packaging can
information on the composting process.
be recycled rather than thrown away. (See
Step 2: Distribute the Find Nature’s the activity Worms at Work on page 159 in
Packaging worksheet and pass out crayons or the Compost chapter for instructions on
markers. Ask the students to circle the items how to start a vermicomposting bin.)
that have natural packaging.
2. Bring in a variety of unshelled nuts (e.g.,
Step 3: Ask the students to color the items pistachios, walnuts, peanuts). Draw or find
on the worksheet. a sketch of a face, animal, or a fun object.
Photocopy it and give one to each student.
Have the students shell the nuts and then
glue the shells to the sketch. Use paints to
color the picture once the glue has dried.
Find
tu r e’ s
a
NPackaging !
84
Grades K-4
1 hour
Step 7: Start the process over again with 1. Have each team of students devise its own
question #2, but this time, allow Team 2 to
questions and answers for the opposing
answer first. Keep track of the score and work
team, and play again.
through all of the questions, alternating which
team gets to answer first. 2. Organize a clothing drive with the class or
the entire school. Donate the used clothing
After all of the questions have been answered, to a local charity or thrift store.
the team with the most points wins. For extra
credit, see if students can name even more cor-
rect answers.
What are 6 commonly used items that are often thrown away but could be reused? (Note
that some items have both reusable and disposable parts.)
1. Cups
2. Eating utensils (e.g., forks, knives, spoons)
3. Plates
4. Cloth Napkins
5. Lunch bags
6. Batteries
What are 6 ways you and your family can reduce waste?
1. Use a reusable bag when shopping
2. Bring your lunch in a reusable bag
3. Buy or make your own nontoxic cleaners
4. Make sure you only buy what you need
5. Donate items you don’t need anymore instead of
throwing them away
6. Use both sides of paper before recycling it
Ecological Picnic
math
To show students that choices they make about prod- Source reduction
ucts and packaging can have an impact on the Durable science
amount of waste they generate. Nondurable
social
studies
Plan a picnic with students that produces as little waste Day 1: 1 hour
as possible. Day 2: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Lunch Communication
• Durable or reusable plates, silverware, cups, napkins, Computation
etc. Observation/classification
• Recyclables container
• Garbage container
• Food waste container, if your school composts
• Large scale
Eco-Picnic Table
Recyclables Food Scraps Trash Total Guess
Guess
Total of Each
2 hours
A B C D E F G H
Item From Weight Before Weight After Packaging % Packaging Packaging Packaging Total Amount
Lunch Eating Eating Reusable? Compostable? Recyclable? of Trash That
(Product and (Packaging) COULD Have
Packaging) Been Avoided.
3.
4.
5.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Totals
K ✔ ✔
1 ✔ ✔
2 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Grade Range
3 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
4 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
7 ✔ ✔
8 ✔ ✔
Math ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Subjects Covered
Science
Language Arts ✔ ✔
Social Studies ✔ ✔
Art ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Health
Communication ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Reading ✔
Research ✔ ✔ ✔
Skills Used*
Computation ✔ ✔
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔
Motor Skills ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Collecting
and
Processing
Collection
2 Purchasing
Recycled
Products
• Drop-off centers, locations where residents
can take their recyclables. These centers are
often sponsored by community organiza-
tions.
• Buy-back centers,
local facilities where
recycled-content
manufacturers buy
How and where recyclables can be collected
their products back
vary from community to community. Some com-
from consumers and
munities collect from residences, schools, and
remanufacture the
businesses through:
used products into
• Curbside collection programs, the most com- new products.
mon method. Residents set recyclables,
Processing Manufacturing
After collection, some Once cleaned and sorted, the recyclables move
recyclables are to the next part of the recycling loop—manufac-
“processed” and pre- turing. More and more of today’s products are
pared for delivery to being manufactured with recycled content.
manufacturing facili-
ties. Processing • Recycled cardboard and newspaper are used
usually includes mak- to make new boxes, papers, and other prod-
ucts such as tissues, paper towels, toilet
paper, diapers, egg cartons, and napkins.
• Recycled plastic called PET, found in soft
drink, juice, and peanut butter containers, is
Follow a Plastic Bottle Beyond
used to make new products such as carpets,
the Bin... fiberfill (insulating material in jackets and
After a plastic soda bottle is collected in a sleeping bags), bottles and containers, auto
recycling bin, it is sorted and transported to a parts, and paint brushes. Another kind of
materials recovery facility. There it is cleaned recycled plastic, HDPE, used in milk, water,
and fed into a granulator that chops it into detergent, and motor oil containers, can be
uniform-sized pieces, called “flakes.” A manu- remanufactured into trash cans, bathroom
facturer then purchases the flakes and melts stalls, plastic lumber, toys, trash bags, and
them, squeezing the plastic into thin spaghetti- hair combs. Numbers imprinted on the plastic
like strands and chopping those strands into product indicate from which type of plastic
small pieces called “pellets.” These plastic pel- the product has been manufactured and how
lets are further stretched and squeezed into it can be recycled. Not all communities recy-
thin fibers that can be remanufactured into cle all types of plastic.
items like clothing, bags, bins, carpet, plastic
lumber, hospital supplies, housewares, packag- • Recycled glass is used again and again in
ing, shipping supplies, toys, and more. new glass containers as well as in glasphalt
Consumers then complete the recycling loop (the roadway asphalt that shimmers in sun-
by purchasing and using these new recycled- light), road filler, and fiberglass.
content products. • Recycled aluminum beverage cans, one of
the most successful recyclables, are remade
into new cans in as little as 90 days after
they are collected. Recycled aluminum cans
ing sure the materials are sorted properly and
also can be used in aluminum building
that contaminants (i.e., nonrecyclables) are
materials.
removed. Recyclables are then usually sent to a
materials recovery facility (MRF, pronounced • All steel products manufactured in the
“murph”) to be further sorted and then processed United States contain 25 to 30 percent or
into marketable commodities for remanufactur- 100 percent recycled steel, depending on
ing. Recyclables are bought and sold just like any the manufacturing process used.
1960s
• Interest in recycling waned as America’s peacetime economy soared. Rising incomes and wide-
spread, affordable, mass-produced goods created the “disposable” society.
1970s
• Environmental awareness rejuvenated the nation’s interest in recycling.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established December 2, 1970.
• The first Earth Day was held in 1970, significantly increasing recycling awareness. In the years
following, 3,000 volunteer recycling centers opened and more than 100 curbside collection
programs were established.
• EPA and some state agencies developed guidelines, technical assistance, and targets for
local recycling efforts.
1980s
• The national spotlight fell on monitoring trash due to increased awareness of pollution resulting
from poor waste management.
• Federal, state, and local governments became more and more involved in waste management.
• Waste management firms began to offer recycling programs in connection with proposals for
new incinerators or landfills.
1990s
• Industry expanded the range of products made from recycled materials instead of virgin raw
materials.
• National recycling rate reached double digits (28.2 percent in 1998).
2000s
• EPA sets national goals for reducing and recycling waste.
• Learn about and participate in a community recycling program. Know the collection schedule or
drop-off location as well as which items are acceptable. Get involved by volunteering with a
homeowner’s association or community organization to educate neighbors about the recycling
program.
• Empty all fluids and remove all lids from bottles and cans when recycling and do not contami-
nate recycling containers with trash.
• Participate and encourage colleagues to recycle in the containers provided in your
school. Initiate a recycling program in your school if one does not exist.
• Make the effort to find recycling opportunities for items, such as plastic packaging, that are not
included in your local recycling program.
• Use recyclable products and encourage others to do the same.
What Are the Challenges of used in packaging, usually can not be included
Recycling? in curbside or drop-off recycling programs.
These items still end up in the trash because it is
Despite its success, the potential of recycling in not profitable to collect the tons needed for
this country is not yet fully realized. Some plas- remanufacture into new products.
tics, for example, such as bottles and
containers, are recyclable in almost any com- In addition, the costs of collecting, transporting,
munity, but others, such as plastic “peanuts” and processing recyclables can sometimes be
The following are examples of the accomplishments of a few WasteWise partners in the education
field. Alden Central School of New York, which educates children from K-12, implemented a compre-
hensive waste reduction program in all campus buildings. Students and staff eliminated 450 pounds
of polystyrene cafeteria trays and dishes by switching to reusable products. They also composted 900
pounds of cafeteria food scraps and 150 pounds of yard trimmings for use as mulch on building
grounds. Sligo Adventist School of Maryland also implemented several innovative waste prevention
activities including the reduction of more than 1 ton of drink boxes by switching to bulk juice dis-
pensers. Eastern Illinois University reduced the amount of computer paper used on campus by 10
percent and reused 13 tons of office supplies through an internal exchange among employees.
To find out how your school can join the WasteWise program, please call 800-EPA-WISE (372-
9473), e-mail at ww@cais.net, or visit the Web site at <www.epa.gov/wastewise>.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on recycling and solid waste:
To order the following additional documents on municipal solid waste and recycling, call EPA
toll-free at (800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site
<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
• One 6-foot-long plastic park bench can be made from • Resource and Energy
about 1,000 plastic milk jugs. Conservation: Making a new
product from recycled-content
(Sources: Aluminum Association, 2000; Glass Packaging Institute; materials generally reduces the
Recyclers’ Handbook by Earthworks Group, 1997; Anchorage
Recycling Center, 2000; American Plastics Council, 1999; National amount of energy and virgin
Recycling Coalition) materials needed to manufac-
ture the product.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on buying recycled products and solid waste:
To order the following additional documents on buying recycled and “green” shopping, call EPA
toll-free at (800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>
EPA’s WasteWise Program helpline (800 EPA-WISE) has additional resources available.
These resources include information on the following:
Recycling Rangers
social
studies
1 hour
Step 1: Using the storyline in the Follow That 1. Have students explain what happens to a
Bottle! worksheet, discuss the life of a recycla- plastic bottle, or other recyclable, after it is
ble item, such as a plastic bottle, after it is placed in a recycling bin.
placed in the recycling bin. Explain that items
2. Ask students to describe their own recycling
such as bottles, cans, and newspapers can be
experiences. Do they use a bin?
made into a new product—either the same
kind of product or a completely different prod-
uct—if they are recycled and not thrown away.
(Refer to the Teacher Fact Sheet titled Recycling
on page 101 for background information.)
1. Instruct the students to draw a picture of
Step 2: Read and then distribute the Follow themselves as they recycle common products.
That Bottle! worksheet and instruct the stu-
dents to follow the bottle by coloring it with 2. Have students sort and separate recyclables
crayons as it is used, recycled, remanufac- from lunch for one week to get a sense of the
tured, and made into a new product. As the items that can be recycled in your community.
students color, ask them what they think is Prepare separate bins for each recyclable.
happening in each section of the picture. Ask 3. Ask students what happens to the plastic
them, for example, if anyone has been to a bottle if it does not go in the recycling bin.
factory or if they recycle at home.
art
To teach students the value of recycling and encourage Recycling
them to discuss recycling with their families. Processing
Sources: EPA, 2003; American Forest and Paper Association; Can Manufacturers Institute;
www.green-networld.com/tips/glass.htm.
45 minutes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• Hot plate and sauce pan or hot pot (to boil water)
• 8-inch square sheet of glass or a cookie sheet
• Newspaper Communication
• Assorted glass objects Reading
Observation/classification
Problem solving
art
2-3 hours
• Large stack of • Egg beaters
newspapers • Magnifying glass
• Scissors • Plant seeds for each
• Three to five 2-gallon student
buckets • Planting soil Motor skills
• Water • Paper drinking cups
Note: Try to reuse a cup-shaped container instead of using paper drinking cups. For example, you
could use reusable plastic drinking cups, plastic planter molds, or milk containers.
planter to when it takes root Step 11: Discuss how the planter will decom-
pose in the soil and the plant will take root in
in the ground outdoors.
the ground. Explain that they have just complet-
ed the recycling loop by sending the nutrients
from the paper cup back into the soil.
1 hour
• Recyclable items listed below
• Magnets
• An aquarium tank or other large container filled
with water
• Rocks or other items that vary in density Communication
• Balance scale Research
• Scissors Computation
• Tablespoon of sand Observation/classification
• Copies of the Sorting Statistics Worksheet
• Calculators (optional)
Recyclable Items
Steel food cans
Step 1: A day or two before the lesson, ask Aluminum soda cans
students to bring in different recyclable items Plastic detergent bottles
from home or collect items left over from Plastic milk jugs
lunch. See the box at right for the list of mate-
Newspapers
rials to request. Be sure to clean these items
before the lesson and remove any sharp Magazines
edges. Store these items in a utility closet or Notebook paper
some other storage room at the school until Cardboard boxes
you are ready to conduct the lesson.
Step 2: To begin the lesson, discuss how
waste is reduced by recycling. Explain how after the difference between materials because they
recyclables are collected from businesses and end up being recycled into different products.
homes, they are sent to a facility where they are (Refer to the Teacher Fact Sheet titled Recycling
sorted into different categories of materials. on page 101 for more information on this
Explain that it is important for recyclers to tell process).
Name:
_____________________________________________
Station One
1. How many steel cans are at Station One? Use the magnet to find out. Now, multiply that number
by the number of students in your classroom. If you recycled 56 percent of these cans, approxi-
mately how many would that be? As a nation, we recycled 56 percent of our steel cans in 1998.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Suppose you have 10 aluminum cans—5 containing recycled aluminum and 5 with no recycled con-
tent (made from bauxite, the primary ore). Next, suppose it takes 5 watts of energy to make a can
with recycled aluminum and 100 watts to make a can from bauxite. How much energy does it take to
make the 5 recycled-content cans? How about the 5 nonrecycled cans? Note that it takes 95 percent
less energy to make an aluminum can from recycled aluminum versus making one from scratch.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Calculate the aluminum can recycling rate for Anywhereville, USA, given the following information:
• 1,938 pounds of aluminum cans were recycled
• 3,370 pounds of aluminum cans were produced
• There are an average of 33.04 cans per pound
Number of cans recycled:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Recycling rate:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Note that the following formula is used to determine the density of an item: density =
mass (grams)/volume (centimeters3). Now, assume a piece of garbage—a popcorn
bag—has a mass of 12 grams and a volume of 5 centimeters3. What is its density?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Note that water has a density of 1.0 g/cm . Items that have a density of less than 1 float in water,
3
while those that are more than 1 sink. Do plastic bottles have a density greater or less than 1?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Station Three
1. Describe the characteristics of the different types of paper. How are they similar? How are
they different? Consider color, texture, glossiness, thickness, etc.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Assuming you recycle 7 newspapers a week, 365 days a year, how many news-
papers do you recycle per year?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Using the scale at Station Three, weigh a newspaper to determine its mass.
Using your answer from question 2, what is the total mass (in pounds) of the
newspapers you recycle each year? In tons? (There are 2,205 pounds in a ton.)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Assuming that each ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees, how many trees have
you saved by recycling your newspaper each year?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
science
art
Construction Items
Step 1: Several days before the lesson, ask Aluminum cans
students to bring in different construction items Rope
from the list to the right. Be sure to store these
Wire
items in a safe place at the school where stu-
dents cannot access them and hurt themselves. Hinges
Also, note that this lesson will work best in a Screws
shop room or similar area with plenty of open Nails
space and room for students to work. Wood scraps
Step 2: To begin the lesson, introduce the Bricks
concept of simple machines—levers, pulleys, Blocks
etc. Next, explain how simple machines are used Other construction items
in the recycling process. Recycling facilities use
machines, for example, to crush aluminum cans
Step 4: Place a few aluminum cans on the 1. Ask students to explain why it is important for
floor. Ask a volunteer to crush the cans with his recycling facilities to crush the aluminum cans.
or her foot. Have students identify what is 2. Ask students why it is important to develop a
involved in crushing a can. Ask them to describe detailed design first rather than immediately
what happens to the can. building a machine.
Step 5: Have students examine all of the con- 3. Have students explain why it is important to
struction materials brought to class. Explain that test the machine.
the job of each group is to use these materials 4. Have students explain how the machine
to design and construct a can crushing makes crushing cans easier than doing it by
machine. Each group should use at least one hand.
“simple machine” in their construction.
Learn to Recycle
Art
To teach students the specifics of recycling in their com- Materials Recovery Facility
Language
munity or help them understand why their community (MRF) Arts
does not recycle. Processing
Recyclables
Recycling
Assignment:
Research Sources:
Facts Learned:
Recycle math
To introduce students to electronics recycling.
Demanufacture
Life cycle
Remanufacture
139
Grade • Subject • Skills Index
Activity
Compost Critters Compost Chefs Compost Crops Worms at Work
Name
K ✔
1 ✔
2
Grade Range
3 ✔ ✔
4 ✔ ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔ ✔
7 ✔ ✔ ✔
8 ✔ ✔ ✔
Math ✔
Subjects Covered
Science ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Language Arts
Social Studies
Art
Health
Communication
Reading
Research
Skills Used*
Computation ✔ ✔ ✔
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving
Motor Skills ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Visit the following Web sites for more information on composting and solid waste:
To order the following additional documents on municipal solid waste and composting, call EPA
toll-free at (800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site
<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
Compost Critters
Science
Step 1: Visit your chosen outdoor area prior • Who recycles these materials. Discuss the
to the class trip in order to make sure it is suit- plants and animals, such as snails, slugs,
able for viewing nature’s recyclers. Scout out beetles, millipedes, earthworms, fungi, pill-
four specific “stations” for the students to visit, bugs, snowbugs, mushrooms, and lichen
including a live tree, an old decomposing log, that perform nature’s recycling work.
a large rock (or board) in the soil, and a leaf-
Step 3: Divide the class into small groups of
covered patch of soil. To draw insects to a
three to four students. Explain that the students
specific spot, you might want to plant a log or
are now adventurers on a mission to locate and
board in the soil several days in advance.
study nature’s recyclers at work. Remind students
Step 2: Discuss recycling with the students that it’s very important to observe, but not touch
and explain the following concepts (refer to or disturb the recyclers or their habitat.
the Teacher Fact Sheet titled Composting on
Step 4: Lead the students to your predeter-
page 141 for background information):
mined outdoor area and stop at each of the
• Why we recycle and why nature also needs four stations. At each station, first lead a dis-
to recapture the value of its organic waste. cussion (see below) and then give each group
— Why is it living under this dead log? What • Ask the students to feel and smell the soil.
does it eat? How does it compare to the dead log they
visited earlier?
— How many of these creatures are living
together? Step 5: Before returning to the classroom,
visit the live tree station again. Ask students to
• If it’s possible (and safe), capture a few of
think again about where this tree gets its food.
these recyclers in your clear container and let
Discuss how the decaying log, busy creatures,
the students view them up close. You may
and moist, rich soil all play a role in keeping the
want to impose an item limit to prevent too
tree alive.
much disruption for the critters. Students
could draw the recyclers they see in nature
or wait until they return to the classroom and
draw from memory. Make a point of return-
ing the creatures safely to their homes after
the viewing is over.
Compost Chefs
science
Follow-up: 15 minutes to
1 hour on an occasional
basis for up to 4 weeks
• Four thin, plastic buckets (5 gallons each) or other
plastic container (e.g., milk jug)
• One hand drill or punch-type can opener
• One copy of the Compost Chef worksheet per student
• Grass clippings (shredded, if possible) Computation
• Vegetable and fruit peels Observation/classification
• Weeds (shredded, if possible) Motor skills
• Hay (shredded, if possible)
• Sawdust
• Coffee grinds
• Thermometer
• Bloodmeal
• One marker or pen
• Tape
• Four pieces of construction paper (3 by 5 inches each)
• Garden trowel
Bucket #3
• Add a sprinkle of water to your compost mix-
ture every week.
• Make sure you don’t stir your mixture.
1. Collect and evaluate the data on each stu-
Bucket #4 dent’s Compost Chef worksheet. Have the
• Add a sprinkle of water to your compost mix- students create charts or graphs based on
ture every week. the temperature data they collected. Which
• Use the garden trowel to stir your mixture pile had the highest mean temperature?
regularly: once every 3 days for the first 2 What does a high temperature mean in
weeks, then once per week. terms of decomposition?
Step 6: At each interval of stirring or water- 2. Explore composting as a natural cycle. Study
ing, have all of the groups visit each compost the nitrogen cycle and have students make
bucket and record their findings, including tem- diagrams of its components. (The nitrogen
perature, appearance, and smell. Students can cycle is the continuous cyclic progression of
use their Compost Chef worksheets for this task. chemical reactions in which atmospheric
nitrogen is compounded, dissolved in rain,
Step 7: After 4 weeks, have the students use deposited in soil, assimilated, and metabo-
the trowels to dig into each compost pile and lized.) Use composting as a lead-in to
examine it closely. Ask them to compare and discuss other natural cycles.
contrast the compost in each bucket. Ask stu-
dents which mixture decomposed the most. 3. Start a schoolwide compost bin using the
appropriate wastes from school lunches.
Step 8: Use the finished compost from Bucket Have students decide which wastes can be
#4 as soil for classroom plants or a garden. added to the pile and have different classes
Have students explore how compost aids new watch over and stir the pile each week. Have
vegetative growth. each participating class start a small flower
garden plot, using the compost as a soil
amendment.
Week 1
Temperature:
Week 2 Appearance:
Temperature: Smell: Week 3
Appearance: Temperature:
Smell: Appearance:
Week 4 Smell:
Temperature:
Appearance:
Smell:
Week 1
Temperature:
Appearance: Week 3
Week 2 Smell: Temperature:
Temperature:
Appearance:
Appearance:
Smell: Ingredients:
Smell: Week 4
Temperature:
Appearance:
Smell:
Ingredients:
Week 2 Appearance:
Smell:
Ingredients: Week 1
Temperature:
Appearance: Week 3
Week 2 Smell: Temperature:
Temperature:
Appearance:
Appearance:
Smell:
Smell: Week 4
Temperature:
Appearance:
Smell:
Ingredients:
Compost Crops
*Prerequisite:* This activity involves the use of previously made compost. Your students can use the compost they made science
from completing one of the following activities: Compost Chefs or Worms at Work.
math
To teach students how composting can prevent food Decompose
scraps and yard trimmings from being thrown away and Compost
to show them the usefulness of compost in gardening. Root
Nutrient
Day 1
Plot #1
(just soil)
Plot #2
(compost and soil)
Day 2
Plot #1
(just soil)
Plot #2
(compost and soil)
Day 3
Plot #1
(just soil)
Plot #2
(compost and soil)
Day 4
Plot #1
(just soil)
Plot #2
(compost and soil)
Day 5
Plot #1
(just soil)
Plot #2
(compost and soil)
Worms at Work
Science
Setup: 1 hour
Follow-up: 15 minutes to
• Large plastic bin (about 8 to 16 inches deep) with 1 hour on an occasional
holes in the bottom for aeration basis
• Tray for underneath the bin
• Two bricks or other large sturdy objects
• 9 to 14 pounds of newspaper
• One bag of potting soil
• 1 pound of red worms Computation
• Food scraps (such as bread, vegetables, fruits, Observation/classification
eggshells, grains, coffee grounds, tea bags) Do NOT Motor skills
include meat, bones, mayonnaise, fish, peanut butter,
candy, or nonfood items
• Tarp or drop cloth
• Bucket or other carrying container
• Household gloves (optional)
• Copy of Vermicomposting Data Sheet for each student
Step 1: Explain to the class what compost is Step 3: Have the students tear each sheet
and how it is made (refer to the Teacher Fact of newspaper lengthwise into strips that are 1
Sheet titled Composting on page 141). Discuss to 3 inches wide and place half of the pile in
the use of worms, the need for and use of the bin.
organic waste, and other vocabulary words.
During the course of this lesson, inform
Step 4: Have the students multiply the num-
ber of pounds of newspaper by 3 to determine
students of good and bad foods to use in
the total amount of water needed (a pint of
composting, as well as the reason why it is bet-
water weighs a pound, and a gallon of water
ter to compost than to throw food scraps away.
Step 5: Sprinkle two handfuls of soil and the Step 9: Place a sheet of newspaper over the
rest of the newspaper and water. Have the stu- top of the bin to prevent flies from circulating
dents mix the contents well and distribute evenly near the area. Store the bin in a cool place out
in the bin. of direct sunlight, and keep the lid tightly shut.
Step 6: Gently place the worms on top of the Step 10: Have students check the bin fre-
bedding, spreading them evenly. Keep the bin quently as they add food scraps to see the
uncovered so the students will see the worms changes that occur. After a period of 3 to 6
moving down into the bedding to avoid light. months, depending on the size of the container,
most of the food and bedding will be trans-
Step 7: Use the attached data sheet to record formed into worm castings, the nutrient-rich
all activities surrounding the worm bin, including waste materials that worms excrete.
the date the bin was set up, the number of
worms (or pounds of worms) added to the bin, Step 11: In order to harvest the compost, or
and the number of people contributing food humus, for use (if you choose to), you must
scraps (number of people in the class). For the change the bedding and temporarily remove the
remainder of steps for this activity, have students worms. Spread out a tarp or drop cloth in an
record the date and day food is added, includ- open area and dump out the entire contents of
1 2 3
(If you run out of spaces, get an extra copy of this sheet from your teacher.)
Total days:________________________________
1 ✔
2 ✔
Grade Range
3 ✔ ✔
4 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
7 ✔ ✔
8 ✔ ✔
Math ✔
Subjects Covered
Science ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Language Arts ✔ ✔
Social Studies ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Art
Health
Communication ✔
Reading ✔ ✔ ✔
Research ✔ ✔
Skills Used*
Computation ✔
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Motor Skills ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
164 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Landfills
What Is a Landfill?
A landfill is a large area of land or an excavated Key Points
site that is specifically designed and built to • Landfills are the most common form of
receive wastes. Today, about 56 percent of our waste disposal and are an important
country’s trash is disposed of in landfills (EPA, component of an integrated waste man-
2003). Items such as appliances, newspapers, agement system.
books, magazines, plastic containers, packag- • Federal landfill regulations have eliminat-
ing, food scraps, yard trimmings, and other ed the open dumps of the past. Today’s
wastes from residential, commercial, and some landfills must meet stringent design,
industrial sources can be disposed of in munici- operation, and closure requirements.
pal solid waste landfills. Municipal solid waste
landfills can also accept some types of haz- • Landfills that handle hazardous wastes
ardous waste, such as cleaning products, paint, are specially designed with two sets of
and chemicals, as well as some industrial wastes liners and two leachate detection systems.
from certain businesses. Many states and com- • After a landfill is capped, the land may
munities, however, promote the safe collection of be used for recreation sites such as
these hazardous wastes through local programs. parks, golf courses, and ski slopes.
(See “Are There Landfills for Hazardous Waste?” • Methane gas, a byproduct of decom-
on page 166 for more information.) posing waste, can be collected and used
In the past, garbage was collected in open as fuel to generate electricity.
dumps. These uncovered and unlined sites
allowed leachate, a liquid formed by decompos-
ing waste, to soak into the soil and ground water. Open dumps also attracted rodents and insects,
emitted odors, and created fire hazards. Most of
Cross Section of a Landfill these small and unsanitary dumps have been
replaced by large, modern facilities that are
Vegetative designed, operated, and monitored according to
Cover strict federal and state regulations. Today’s land-
fills eliminate the harmful and undesirable
Final earth cover plus synthetic characteristics of dumps to help protect public
liner and compacted clay
health and the environment.
Compacted solid waste
Daily earth cover
In addition to being safer for the environment
and neighboring communities, these larger land-
Compacted solid waste fills hold more trash than the dumps of the past.
Daily earth cover In 2001, about 1,850 municipal solid waste
Compacted solid waste
landfills were operating in the United States (EPA,
2003). While this number is significantly smaller
Daily earth cover than the number of landfills 25 years ago, new
Compacted solid waste landfills—often called megafills due to their
Leachate collection size—can accommodate significantly more
and removal system
garbage. This greater capacity is necessary to
Protective liner keep up with the steady growth of municipal
Compacted soil (clay) solid waste.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 165
be lined and have a leachate col-
Are There Landfills for Hazardous Waste? lection system. In addition, landfill
In 2001, more than 1 million tons of hazardous waste was dis- owners must monitor and collect
posed of in landfills or surface impoundments. Hazardous waste explosive gases; regularly test
is toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or reactive, or generated from cer- nearby ground water; and com-
tain industries or manufacturing processes. When it comes to pact and cover waste with a layer
disposing of hazardous waste in landfills, EPA takes additional of soil on a daily basis.
steps to ensure environmental safety and human health. In addition to federal regulations,
While landfills that accept solid waste have a clay and plastic each state has its own landfill
liner and a leachate system to prevent leakage, landfill owners requirements, which are often more
that accept hazardous waste must take extra precautions. For stringent than the federal laws.
example, a hazardous waste landfill must have two sets of lin- Many states require landfill opera-
ers, one consisting of a special plastic, and the other composed tors to obtain a license and present
of both plastic and a thick layer of soil material. In addition, a a plan for how the site will be safe-
landfill accepting hazardous waste must have two leachate ly closed, even though the closing
detection systems instead of just one. date might be 50 years in the
future. Furthermore, federal law
Before hazardous waste even reaches a landfill, however, it requires landfill owners to set aside
must be treated differently than solid waste. If hazardous waste the money to close the landfill
is bound for disposal in a landfill, it is regulated under EPA's properly and support ongoing
Land Disposal Restrictions program. Through this program, haz- monitoring activities. Once a land-
ardous waste must undergo treatment that will destroy or fill is capped (closed), the operator
immobilize its hazardous components before it is sent to a land- must monitor the site for gas and
fill. For example, when a business generates hazardous waste, it leachate for a minimum of 30
must either treat that waste itself, or send it to a special facility years after the closing date.
for treatment, before sending the waste to a landfill.
166 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Landfill Facts
• The first garbage dump was created in 500 BC by the ancient Greeks in Athens. Residents were
required to take their trash at least 1 mile away from the city walls to dump.
• Paper takes up as much as 50 percent of all landfill space. Recycling 1 ton of newspapers would
save 3 cubic feet of that space.
• In a study of waste buried for more than 15 years, Professor William Rathje of the University of
Arizona found legible newspapers and chicken bones with meat still on them, proving that waste
does not decompose completely in a landfill.
(Sources: The League of Women Voters’ Garbage Primer, 1993; Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage by William
Rathje, 1990; Anchorage Recycling Center, 2000)
garbage that can contribute to global climate truck traffic and the use of equipment onsite.
change, and convert it into an energy source. In Additionally, landfills often compete for local
addition, after a landfill is capped and a certain garbage within a given municipality.
amount of time has passed, the land might be Competition can lead to reduced support for
reused for parks, ski slopes, golf courses, and recycling and other waste reduction programs.
other recreation areas.
Issues also might arise if a landfill is located
close to a community. Many people do not want
landfills near their homes. The NIMBY (Not in
What Are the Challenges of My Backyard) attitude can make finding a land-
Landfills? fill site very challenging.
Though regulations have made landfills safer to
the public and the environment, public opposi-
tion, high land prices, and environmental What Are Some Emerging Trends?
concerns can make it difficult to find suitable
Increased waste generation requires landfill
places for new landfills.
operators and managers to constantly evaluate
Landfills can pose other problems if not properly and improve current disposal methods. One
designed or managed. If a liner leaks, for exam- strategy to speed the rate of decomposition of
ple, the underlying soil and ground water can landfill waste is to recirculate the collected
become contaminated. Additionally, since land- leachate by pouring it over the cells and allow-
fills are often located in remote areas, waste ing it to filter through the rotting garbage.
must be hauled long distances, which might
Another trend that is becoming common for
result in environmental impacts from increased
landfill operators is collecting methane gas from
truck traffic (e.g., air pollution) and noise from
the landfill and using it as the energy source to
power the landfill or selling it to a local utility
Putting Landfill Gas to Use provider, company, or even greenhouses. This
process allows landfills to reduce their depend-
1 million tons of waste within a landfill cre-
ence on precious fossil fuels and save money.
ates 550,00 cubic feet per day of landfill
gas, or one megawatt of electricity. That is A new trend that is gaining attention is landfill
enough to power 700 homes for a year. reclamation, in which old cells are excavated to
Removing that much methane gas from the recover recyclable items. This process, in which
atmosphere is equal to taking 8,800 cars recovered recyclables, soil, and waste can be
off the road for a year. sold, reused, or burned as fuel, is a new
(Source: EPA’s Landfill Methane approach used to expand landfill capacity and
Outreach Program, www.epa.gov/docs/ avoid the cost of acquiring additional land.
lmop-pres-12-22-03.ppt)
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 167
Additional Information Resources:
Visit the following Web sites for more information on municipal solid waste landfills:
To order the following additional documents on municipal solid waste, call EPA toll-free at (800)
490-3198 (TDD 800 553-7672) or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publi-
cat.htm>.
• Sites for Our Solid Waste: A Guidebook for Public Involvement (EPA530-SW-90-019).
• Safer Disposal of Solid Waste: The Federal Regulations for Landfills (EPA530-SW-91-092)
• Decision-Makers’ Guide to Solid Waste Management, Volume II (EPA530-R-95-023)
• A Collection of Solid Waste Resources on CD-ROM
168 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Combustion
What Is Combustion?
Recycling, composting, and source reduction are Key Points
vital activities for effective solid waste manage- • Municipal waste combustors burn waste
ment, but 100 percent of people’s trash cannot at high temperatures to reduce its volume.
be handled by these methods. The remaining
• Municipal waste combustors reduce the
waste must be deposited in landfills or combust-
volume of garbage by 70 to 90 percent.
ed (burned). Because of limited space, landfills
are not always a viable option in many cities, • Ash is a byproduct of combustion that
making combustors (commonly referred to as must be disposed of in landfills or
incinerators) an important part of a community’s reused.
integrated waste management system. Burning • Air pollution control equipment helps
garbage can decrease the volume of waste reduce air emissions.
requiring disposal by 70 to 90 percent.
• The heat produced by burning waste in
Before the late 1970s, many people burned municipal waste combustors can be
garbage in their backyards and in simple private recovered as useful energy.
and municipal combustors. These methods did • Specially designed incinerators can be
not burn garbage completely, however, and used as a means of handling hazardous
allowed pollutants waste. The burning process reduces
to escape into the the toxicity of organic compounds in
atmosphere. With the waste.
the passing of the
Clean Air Act, com-
bustor owners had release significantly less pollutants into the air
to develop more than the “backyard burners” and simple com-
effective methods of bustors. More than 100 municipal waste
pollution control. combustor plants currently exist nationwide, and
Today’s municipal nearly 20 percent of the municipal solid waste
waste combustors generated in the United States is combusted.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 169
How Typical Combustion Facilities Work
1. Tipping area for trucks combustion zone 8. Heat exchanger 11. Fly ash and dust collector
2. Refuse pit 5. Primary combustion zone 9. Turbine 12. Stack
3. Refuse crane 6. Underfire air 10. Scrubber, to remove acid 13. Bottom ash and fly ash
4. Hopper, which sends waste to 7. Furnace gases collection and transport
170 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
be deposited in landfills specially designed to What Are the Challenges of
store it. Currently, studies are under way to inves- Municipal Waste Combustors?
tigate ways to reuse ash; for example, to replace
soil as a landfill cover (generally applied at the Although technologies to control pollution have
end of each day to minimize odor, pests, and improved significantly, burning certain materials
wind disturbances). Ash might also be used in still produces chemicals that contribute to air
road and building construction and as part of pollution. To minimize emissions of air pollutants
artificial offshore reefs. Whether the leftover ash into the atmosphere, municipal waste incinera-
is recycled or landfilled, it takes up much less tors use special equipment (e.g., scrubbers and
space than the same materials in their original dust collectors) to remove pollutants. To protect
form. air quality and monitor the hazardous con-
stituents in ash, EPA established regulations that
apply to all large municipal solid waste units
(those with the capacity to burn more than 250
What Are the Benefits of
tons of garbage per day). The regulations signif-
Municipal Waste Combustors? icantly reduce toxic air emissions such as dioxin,
Most municipal waste incinerators in the United acid gas, lead, cadmium, and mercury.
States generate energy in the form of electricity
because certain materials, such as paper, plas- Many people do not want incineration sites near
tics, wood, and packaging, make excellent their homes. The “NIMBY (Not In My Back
fuels. Producing this energy has about the same Yard)” attitude makes finding appropriate sites
environmental impact as energy produced from for municipal waste combustors a challenge for
natural gas and less of an environmental impact many municipalities. There are, however, oppor-
than energy produced from oil or coal. In other tunities for the public to participate in deciding
words, generating energy from municipal waste where a combustor will be located. Officials
combustors contributes no more pollution—and must hold a public meeting to inform the com-
sometimes less—than processes generating munity about the size of the proposed
electricity using natural gas, oil, or coal. Waste- combustor, as well as the amount of waste gen-
to-energy plants eration and ash to be discarded.
also reduce the
need to generate
electricity from non-
renewable natural
resources such as
oil and coal.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 171
Additional Information Resources:
Visit the following Web sites for more information on municipal and hazardous waste combustion and
solid waste:
To order the following additional documents on combustion and solid waste, call EPA toll-free at
(800) 490-9198 or look on the EPA Web site <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm>.
172 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Grades 1-4
1 hour
• One 8-ounce pliable clear plastic cup per student
• Five chocolate sandwich cookies per student
• One 8-ounce box of raisins
• One fruit rollup per student
• Two graham crackers per student
• Two red licorice sticks per student
Observation/classification
• One package of birthday candles
Motor skills
• One set of matches
• One scoop of chocolate ice cream (or pudding)
per student
• Two tablespoons of whipped cream per student
• One plastic knife per student
• One plastic fork per student
• One handful (per student) of a variety of small chewable
candies (e.g, chocolate, peanut butter, fruit)
• One copy of Anatomy of a Landfill handout per student
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 173
Step 9: Ask students to sprinkle the candies on
top of the raisins. The candies represent pieces of
Ask students to list some common garbage. Ask students to think about what hap-
items that they throw away. What pens when a landfill or “cup” is filled up with
trash or “candies”? How can they reduce the
do they think people threw away amount of trash that they send to the landfill?
100 years ago? Ask them to predict (Refer to the Teacher Fact Sheet titled Recycling
what we will throw away in the on page 101 for background information.)
future. What would they expect to Step 10: Give each student a scoop of ice
find in a landfill in another country cream on top of the candies. Then, have the stu-
dents add one more layer of candies on top of
(pick a country)? Ask students to the ice cream. The ice cream layer represents the
compare these answers with the seepage created from rain seeping through the
garbage. Explain that in a real landfill, more lay-
United States. ers of garbage or “candies” are placed on the
landfill each day, so that liquid from the decom-
position of the trash is continually created.
them into the cup. Explain that the crushed
cookies represent a layer of soil that is placed in Step 11: Direct students to “unscrew” their
the bottom of real landfills. two remaining cookies and crush another layer
of the bare cookie halves, without the cream,
Step 4: Next, have the students take the on top of the candies and ice cream to repre-
cookie halves with white cream and break them sent soil again. (Students can eat the other
up into two or three pieces. Direct students to cream-covered cookie halves.) This layer
place the pieces in the cup with the white cream reduces the amount of rain water that reaches
face up. These pieces represent a layer of clay the garbage.
that is put on top of the soil in real landfills.
Step 12: Each student should use a layer of
Step 5: Have students use the plastic knife to whipped cream to “cap” the landfill or cover it
cut their fruit rollups to roughly fit the size of the (as would a plastic cap) in order to prevent
top of cup and slide them into place (will push up odor, insect, and rodent problems.
on sides) on top of the cookies to represent a
plastic liner. Plastic liners prevent leachate from Step 13: In front of the class, stick a candle
escaping from a landfill into the ground. Leachate deep into your own edible “landfill” and light it.
is liquid created when trash decomposes. Explain that the candle represents the methane
gas recovery system, which draws methane gas
Step 6: Have students crush and add their from the decomposing garbage. The flame rep-
graham crackers to represent a sand layer. This resents energy that can be generated by burning
layer is used to prevent liquids in landfills from the captured methane gas.
seeping out.
Step 14: Have students eat their landfills as a
Step 7: Have students place raisins on top to snack. When they get to the bottom of their cup,
represent a layer of pebbles. Like the sand layer, ask students to notice whether their cookie or
pebbles provide further protection against “soil” layer is dry, or whether the ice cream or
leachate leaks. “leachate” leaked past the many layers and the
fruit roll-up liner to soak the cookies. Remind
Step 8: Have students rip the licorice sticks in students that if they built their landfill correctly,
half and bite off both ends to represent leachate their cookies will be dry, just as in a real landfill
pipes. Stick pipes into pebble layer. These pipes col- the soil remains protected from leachate.
lect any leachate that collects on top of the liners.
174 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
1. After enjoying the luscious layered landfill as
a snack, ask the students if they remember
the purpose of all the different parts, such as
the fruit roll-up, the licorice, the cookies, and
your candle.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 175
Anatomy of a Landfill
176 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Grades 3-6
A Landfill Is No Dump!
science
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 177
Step 7: After every “rain” session, have the
students use a measuring cup to measure the
Ask students to write a haiku water that leaked out of the unlined colander.
or sonnet about where their Have students observe and record the water’s
color and turbidity. Ask for volunteers to test the
garbage goes. pH of the collected water with litmus paper. Ask
students to record results and observations in
their Landfill Logs. For comparison purposes,
have students test and record the pH of the
Step 2: Begin the exercise by asking a distilled water.
student volunteer to line one colander with flat-
tened modeling clay, patting it out flat like a pie
crust. Explain that this represents the liner of a Step 8: Next, have student volunteers put the
sanitary, modern landfill. Do not line the second “dirty” water from the unlined colander in a
colander. Note that it represents an old-fash- plastic cup. Fill another plastic cup with distilled
ioned, unsanitary dump. water.
Step 3: Have several students cut the differ- Step 9: Ask students to pretend that the dirty
ent garbage items you brought in from home water or “leachate” had escaped an unlined
into small pieces, about 2 inches square. landfill and reached surrounding plants and ani-
mals. Ask them what effect they think the liquid
would have on animal or plant life. Ask students
Step 4: Have a few student volunteers place to predict how a piece of celery (representing a
this trash and the garden soil in the colanders in plant) would react to the leachate or “dirty”
alternate layers until the colanders are full. For water.
each layer, add 1 inch of garbage covered by
1/4 inch of dirt. Add several strips of red crepe
paper as one layer toward the bottom of the Step 10: Insert two pieces of celery—one
colanders and cover them with more dirt. (The into the leachate cup and one into the distilled
red crepe paper will emphasize the seepage of water cup. Point out to students how the celery
water through the unlined dump.) stalk absorbs all of the color from the crepe
paper, or dirt and toxins, of the leachate. Have
students record observations about the process
Step 5: Place cake pans under the colanders and the differences between the two pieces of
to collect the seepage. celery.
178 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
1. Ask students to explain the differences 1. Take a field trip to a local landfill. Have kids
between the mini-landfills. tour the facility and learn firsthand how it
operates. When you return, have students
2. Ask students to refer to their Landfill Logs. write a paragraph about their visit, including
How did the color, turbidity, and pH of the five new facts about landfills that they
leachate and the distilled water differ? Why? learned.
3. Have students describe how an unlined land- 2. Contact your state solid waste or environ-
fill or “dump” can pollute ground water and mental agency to find out how many landfills
surrounding soil. are in your state. If one is located near you,
4. Ask students to decide which landfill is better ask how many tons of trash it accepts per
for the environment and why. Which kind of day or per year and its lifetime maximum
disposal facility would they rather have in capacity. Have students use data obtained
their neighborhood? from the agency to calculate how quickly the
landfill is filling up. Have students make
5. Ask students to define the key vocabulary graphs to show how much longer it can
words of this lesson. Conduct a spelling bee accept garbage at its current rate.
using these words.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 179
Name:
Landfill Log ______________________________________
Observations
Celery in
Celery in Leachate Distilled Water
Amount of pH of Turbidity of (one-time (one-time
Date Leachate pH of Leachate Distilled Water Color of Leachate Leachate observation) observation)
Week 2
Rain 1
Rain 2
Week 3
Rain 1
Rain 2
Week 4
Rain 1
Rain 2
180 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Grades 4-6
Energy Expedition
science
1 hour
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 181
2. Ask students to list at least four different
sources of energy.
Have students keep an energy diary
for one week. Ask them to record
every time they use energy in a day
(for example, turning on lights, using
1. Visit a waste-to-energy facility as a field trip.
a car or bus). Where could they Have students write summaries that explain
have saved energy (for example, rid- how the facility works.
ing a bike instead of using a car)? 2. Divide the class into groups and assign them
each an energy concept (such as those intro-
duced in the Energy Expedition worksheet.)
Ask each group to conduct research on their
topic and prepare a presentation to teach the
class about their findings.
1. Collect the Energy Expedition worksheets 3. Conduct a spelling bee using the energy
and assess students’ work. words featured on the Energy Expedition
worksheet.
182 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Welcome Energy Explorer!
You’re about to set out on a mission
to investigate ENERGY, including its
uses, sources, and connection to
our trash. If you accomplish your
mission, you’ll be promoted to an
Energy Expert—and you’ll be able to help
your family and friends understand how
important energy is to them and their
way of life. This mission is not easy,
however, and it will take all of your
concentration and effort to crack
the energy mystery. Good luck!
ACROSS
1. A type of energy. The word describes something that’s
Name: “possible, but not certain.”
4. The process of burning a material or substance. It’s another
word for “incineration,” and its letters might “bust!”
Directions: Your first task is to complete the Energy
Crossword Puzzle below using the clues provided.
6. A liquid that we can control and direct to generate
Once you have filled in the crossword puzzle, you’ll energy. You might drink it or swim in it.
have a list of ten important energy vocabulary words.
7. A substance that is neither liquid, nor solid, but can be
removed from the Earth and used to generate power.
DOWN
2. It’s another word for unwanted material that you throw
out into a container every day. You might set it out on
the curb or throw it in a dumpster.
3. The hard rock-like remains of prehistoric animal and
plant life, such as dinosaurs, which we sometimes dis-
cover in the Earth’s crust.
5. A natural gas that is generated by garbage decomposing
in a landfill. Live animals can produce this gas as
well...such as a cow burping! The word ends in “ane,” but
it’s not “propane.”
9. The liquid that we pump from the Earth’s surface to
burn for fuel. This word also applies to a product we
often use in cooking.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 183
Energy Story
Directions: Great job! You’ve now learned ten
important energy vocabulary words! Read the story
below to learn more about energy and become an
Energy Expert. You must determine which of your ten
vocabulary words goes in each blank. Remember,
some words will be used more than once. After you
have filled in all of the blanks, you’ll have success-
fully completed your energy mission!
What is ENERGY?
Energy is one of the most important parts of our world—it
makes things happen. Energy means the “ability to do
work.” Did you know that you use energy every day?
Every time you flip a light switch on; use hot water; or ride in a
car, bus, train, or plane, you are using energy. Each time you
watch TV or use a computer, you are using energy. All of the clothes that you wear, toys you play with,
and food you eat are products made from processes that require energy.
There are two different types of energy:
• Energy that is stored is called __________ energy.
• Energy that is moving is called kinetic energy.
Let your pencil rest on your desk. Right now, if it’s not moving, your pencil has________(same as pre-
vious blank) energy. Now, tap it lightly so that it rolls across your desk. Since it’s moving, the pencil
now has kinetic energy.
184 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Natural _____ is a colorless, odorless fuel produced by drilling into the Earth’s crust where it was
trapped hundreds of thousands of years ago. Once it is brought to the surface, it is refined and
purified to remove water, other gases, and sand. Next, it’s transported through large metal
pipelines that span the continent. Natural ______ (same as previous blank) is used for heating,
cooling, and the production of electricity.
Now you understand how our trash can help us generate power and electricity.
In addition, you’ve learned all about our use of energy on this planet and the many
different sources we can turn to for energy use in the future.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 185
Grades 5-8
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 187
Ask students to think about the
advantages and disadvantages 1. Ask the students to discuss/explain whether
associated with landfills. Which or not they would want a landfill in their
one issue is most important to community. Why or why not?
188 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
A Look at Landfills
Pros Cons
• Gives us somewhere to put our solid • Can cause noise and traffic with trucks
waste. driving to and from the landfill.
• Is more protective than dumps of the • Must be designed and constructed to
past. prevent contamination of ground water,
surface water, and soil.
• Waste decomposition at a landfill gener-
ates methane—a potent greenhouse gas • Can lead to bad smelling (rotten egg) or
that can be captured and used for unhealthy air.
energy.
• If not properly capped and managed,
• Converting methane to energy can help can attract birds and pests.
reduce greenhouse gas emissions—
• May lower the property values of the sur-
directly, by capturing methane from the
rounding area.
landfill, and indirectly by serving as an
alternative energy to fossil fuels. • Shipping waste to a landfill in another
state or county may lead to dust prob-
• Can be properly capped and use for
lems or blowing trash if not covered
park land, playgrounds, or other nonres-
properly.
idential purposes.
• Loose garbage can blow around if land-
• Can provide a source of jobs and
fill is not properly capped and managed.
income for a town or state that is willing
to accept solid waste from other cities,
towns, or states for a fee (“host fees”).
• Using a local or nearby landfill can cut
down on fuel emissions from trucks and
boats carrying waste to faraway areas.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 189
Grades 6-8
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 191
school and home, such as drink cans and car- for the year. (Depending on the size of the
tons, lunch bags, and looseleaf and printer class, teachers may need to take this one step
paper. further and project the yearly waste generation
for the school.) Convert this number into tons
Step 3: During this same week, have students for input into WARM.
research how each type of waste (e.g., alu-
minum, food scraps, newspaper) is normally Step 2: Review the discussion on greenhouse
disposed of, particularly in their town or county. gases and their relationship to waste and waste
(Tip: You may want to assign one specific waste disposal (as described in Part 1: Step 1).
to individual groups of students.) Teachers will
use this information to enter data into the base- Step 3: Access EPA’s WARM calculator at
line scenario of EPA’s Waste Reduction Model <http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.
(WARM). nsf/content/ActionsWasteWARM.html>. Explain
that this tool is often used by solid waste plan-
ners and organizations to track, report, and
estimate the effects of various waste disposal
Two Methods for Gathering methods on greenhouse gas emissions. The
Information model calculates greenhouse gas emissions for
baseline and alternative means of waste man-
Teachers may choose between two methods for
agement. Discuss how people can use models
gathering the necessary information to input
to predict possible future scenarios, such as the
into WARM (Part 1, Step 2):
effect of certain activities on air or water pollu-
• Simpler—Students will track the amount tion, or a new street layout on rush hour traffic
of each material type they dispose of each conditions. Enter the information for baseline
day. The teacher will use this information data as gathered by the class. (Teachers can
(as directed Part 2, Step 3) as baseline enter data into the online spreadsheets and
data and then try different combinations of print out the results but cannot save them.
alternative waste disposal methods in Therefore, teachers may choose to download
WARM and discuss the results with the the Microsoft Excel file, which can be saved.)
class.
Step 4: Working with the students, enter data
• Complex—Students will track both the into the alternative management scenario and
amount of each material type they dispose complete the WARM spreadsheet. Review and
of each day and the method of disposal discuss the results of various waste manage-
(throw out, recycle, compost). The teacher ment practices on greenhouse gas emissions.
will use this information as directed Part 2, Ask the class to observe whether the alternative
Step 3 to complete the WARM spread- management scenario reduced the amount of
sheets. emissions. Why or why not? Try incorporating
different waste management practices to view
the effects on emissions and discuss the results
with the class.
Part 2
Step 1: The following week collect the
Weekly Waste Generation Tracking Sheets from
the students and tally the results into one com-
bined tracking sheet. This represents the weekly 1. Ask the students what they learned from
waste generation for the class. In order for the using the tool and how this might be appli-
WARM tool to give meaningful results, however, cable to the real world. How might
the class will need to take the weekly waste communities use tools such as WARM to
generation information and project the total help manage their waste and minimize their
waste generation (by commodity) for the class impacts on global climate change?
192 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
1. Contact a local solid waste planner or
organization and ask them to fill out WARM.
Had they heard of this tool before? How did
their baseline and results compare with the
class?
2. How do greenhouse gas reductions
achieved with alternative waste management
methods relate to real life? Equivalency cal-
culators convert emissions or energy use
reductions into more understandable terms,
such as number of cars removed from the
road or acres of trees planted. Use the
information generated by the class and
WARM to complete the Greenhouse Gas
Equivalencies Calculator available at
<www.usctcgateway.net/tool/> or other
tools available at <http://yosemite.epa.gov/
OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/
ActionsWasteTools.html>. Discuss the results.
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 193
ER
Weekly Waste Generation
WAT
Tracking sheet
Name: Enter the amount of each item that you discard each day.
Aluminum Cans
Steel Cans
Glass
HDPE (plastic)
LDPE (plastic)
PET (plastic)
Mixed Plastics
Textbooks
Magazines
Newspaper
Food Scraps
Grass
Leaves
Yard Trimmings
Mixed Metals
Mixed Recyclables
194 Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion The Quest for Less
Name: Enter the amount of each item that you discard each day.
Aluminum Cans
Steel Cans
Glass
HDPE (plastic)
LDPE (plastic)
PET (plastic)
Mixed Plastics
Textbooks
Magazines
Newspaper
Food Scraps
Grass
Leaves
Yard Trimmings
Mixed Metals
Mixed Recyclables
The Quest for Less Unit 2, Chapter 2.4, Landfills and Combustion 195
UNIT
3 Putting It All
Together
197
.2 01
...
. ...
2-3) b! 203
a des C l u
tors . . . . .
r
R a ce (G t e c
a s te e t P ro . . . . . 209
W a n . . .
t h e Pl . . . . . . . ... 13
Join es 3-6) ) . . 2
d des
4- 6
. ...
(Gra G r a
7- 8 )
To wn ( a des
h s (G r s 15
Tras v e r s a g e . . 2
e r Lefto i a Mes . . . . .
Lock l e Med . . . . .
e m orab ) . . . . .
M es 6-8
d
(Gra
199
Grade • Subject • Skills Index
Activity Waste Race Join the Planet Trash Town Locker Leftovers Memorable
Name Protectors Club! Media Messages
2 ✔
Grade Range
3 ✔ ✔
4 ✔ ✔
5 ✔ ✔
6 ✔ ✔ ✔
7 ✔ ✔
8 ✔ ✔
Math ✔ ✔
Subjects Covered
Science ✔ ✔ ✔
Language Arts ✔ ✔
Social Studies ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Art ✔ ✔
Health ✔ ✔
Communication ✔ ✔ ✔
Reading ✔ ✔
Research ✔ ✔
Skills Used*
Computation ✔ ✔
Observation/
Classification ✔ ✔ ✔
Problem Solving ✔ ✔
Motor Skills ✔ ✔
*See Glossary of Skills for more details.
Waste Race
science
50 minutes
• A variety of trash items in each of the categories listed
in Step 1, supplied by the teacher (see below for sug-
gestions)
• Two trash bags or wastebaskets
• Two sets of colored stickers (e.g., red and blue)
• Five large plastic or metal bins
Communication
Observation/classification
Waste Race Suggested Items (no food items please) Motor skills
Napkin Steel can Paper lunch bag
Plastic packaging Plastic fork Cardboard
Piece of cloth Aerosol can Paint can
Glass bottle Piece of wood Teabag
Aluminum can Copy paper Coffee can
Leaves or grass Text book Flowers
art
Name:
___________________________________________________
The Quest for Less Unit 3, Putting It All Together 205
As a member of the Planet Protectors Club, I
promise to perform the following duties and
responsibilities to the best of my ability:
Trash Town
math
Reading
• One copy of Trash Town worksheet per student Computation
• One pencil per student Problem solving
• One calculator per student (optional)
2. How much does it cost for Trash Town to throw all of $481,000
per year?____________________________________
its garbage into a landfill each year? 6. How much money would Trash Town earn from recy-
$1,606,000
____________________________________________ cling 30 percent of its garbage per year?
cled 30 percent of its garbage each year, how many 7. How much could Trash Town earn if it started recy-
tons of recyclables would be collected? cling 50 percent of its garbage per year?
12,045 tons
____________________________________________
$200,750
____________________________________________
$240,900
What about 60 percent? _______________________
6+
our ques-
tions on the
next page,
you’ll be the
hero of
Garbage generated by each Trash
Town resident per day: 4.4 pounds
Per year?
?
?
??
2. How much does it cost for Trash Town to throw all of its
garbage into a landfill each year?
? 4. If Trash Town recycled 30 percent of its garbage per year, how many tons of trash would still be
sent to the landfill?
5. How much money (in less tipping fees) would Trash Town save from recycling 30 percent of its
garbage per year?
6. How much money would Trash Town earn from recycling 30 percent of its garbage per year?
?
7. How much could Trash Town earn if it started recycling 50 percent of its garbage per year?
?
?
CHALLENGE CORNER
Can you face the Trash Town challenge? The following information will help you solve the word
problems below.
Different types of recycled materials earn different amounts of money in the recyclables
marketplace. For example:
Plastic bottles: $15/ton Cardboard: $40/ton Magazines: $5/ton Steel: $40/ton
Aluminum cans: $40/ton Newspaper: $15/ton Glass: $15/ton
1. How much money would Trash Town earn for recycling 250 tons of newspaper and 30 tons of
steel per year?
2. If Trash Town recycles 20 percent of its total annual garbage and 15 percent of that garbage is
aluminum cans and 5 percent is magazines, how much money will it earn in total?
3. How many pounds of cardboard would Trash Town have to recycle in order to earn more than
$39,000 per year?
212
Grades 7-8
Locker Leftovers
2 hours
Students from one class or one grade will collect items
while cleaning out lockers and desks and sort them into
recyclables, reusables, and trash.
Computation
Observation/classification
For a televised PSA, students can create props using class- Communication
room materials, or items made during other Quest for Less Research
activities.
Step 1: Introduce and define a public service Step 4: Give students a deadline for research
announcement (PSA) with students. Explain to the homework to supplement information gleaned
students that successful PSAs must grab the atten- from Quest for Less.
tion of the intended audience and present the key
message effectively so that it is retained in the
minds of the target audience. To do this, the PSA What Is a Public Service Announcement
must use an appropriate type of appeal/incentive (PSA)? A PSA is an announcement on televi-
and be credible, understood, and considered rel- sion, radio, or promotional materials (e.g.
evant by the intended audience. Present to billboards, posters, brochures) serving the
students examples of a television, radio, or mag- public interest and run by the media at no
azine PSA (refer to PSA example on page 217) so charge. PSAs differ from regular commer-
that they understand the concept. cials because rather than selling a product,
they are generally developed to prevent a
Step 2: Divide students into groups. Assign or behavior from starting, stop a behavior, or
allow them to choose a topic from the Quest for encourage adoption of a new behavior.
Less curriculum (e.g., the value of composting,
recycling, reducing waste).
219
Glossary of Terms
Note: This glossary defines unfamiliar terms specifically related to solid waste and the environment;
some words listed in the activities under “Vocabulary” will not be found in this glossary.