Note: Teacher’s notes are in red

“Being Resource-ful”

Students will become aware of ways they can cut down on the amount of trash they produce by buying products that are not overpackaged and by reusing materials they might normally throw out.

Your Mission

Don’t empty the trash!

Is taking out the garbage one of your chores? Then hold it right there! You’re going to learn how to throw out less trash!

Subjects: Geography, Science

Relevant U.S. National Geography Standards: 14, 16

Materials

One 4-ounce (114-gram) bag of potato chips

Individually wrapped servings of potato chips (lunch-box size), enough to equal 4 ounces (114 grams) or more

Items that might normally be thrown out—cereal box, milk carton, egg carton, glass jar, plastic-foam cup, margarine tub, cardboard tube, plastic straw, popsicle stick, or empty detergent bottle

Large cardboard box

Talkin’ Trash

Review online materials to see which would be most appropriate for your students. The Garbage Gremlin, at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site (http://www.epa.gov/kids/gremlin.htm), is a good way to introduce students to recycling, reusing, and reducing waste. Students can try “Recycle City” at the same site (http://www.epa.gov/kids/recyclecity.htm), or an online puzzle at (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids/games/
hiddenhints/wordsear.htm).

There are a lot of people in the world—more than six billion! More people create more trash.

Trash is a yucky thing to think about, isn’t it? It’s smelly and messy. But that’s not the worst thing about trash. The worst thing is that there’s too much of it. Trash ends up in landfills. Matter of fact, you could almost call them “landfulls”—there’s barely any room left in some landfills! It’s important that people throw away less trash.

Kids in one community stopped the “Garbage Gremlin” by reducing, reusing, and recycling their garbage. Get the goods on how you can do the same in your community at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site (http://www.epa.gov/kids/gremlin.htm).

If students can’t access the Internet, you can print out recycling activities for them, such as:

a story with activities from the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/kids.htm)—click on “Follow that Trail”;

a crossword puzzle from the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District (http://www.mcswmd.org/kids/crossw.html); or

“scrambled” recycling words to “unscramble” from the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District(http://www.mcswmd.org/kids/scramble.html).

If you have only one computer in your classroom or school, you can download a storybook entitled “What on Earth Can You Do With an Old Jelly Jar?” from the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/jeljar.htm) and read it aloud to students. The EPA site also has a poster that you can print out and hang in your classroom.

Package Deal

Ask students about their last trip to the grocery store. What did they buy? How was it packaged? Was all the packaging necessary?

Display the 4-ounce (114-gram) bag of potato chips next to the individually packaged bags of potato chips. Explain that the one big bag and smaller bags contain about the same amount of chips. Ask, “Which product would leave the most waste after it’s been eaten?” Empty the contents of both types of packaging. Have students observe which type of packaging produced more waste. Make comparisons with other products (cereal, snacks, oatmeal, fruit drinks, sodas, yogurt, deodorant) that can have excess packaging. Why do students think some things have more “package” than they need?

Explain that consumers can reduce the amount of trash they produce by purchasing items that are not overpackaged.

One way to reduce the amount of trash is to buy items that don’t have much packaging. The last time you went to the grocery store, you probably bought something that had just one package, such as a carton of milk or a hunk of cheese wrapped in plastic. You probably also bought items with “extra” packaging, maybe cookies in a plastic tray, sealed in cellophane, inside a box. Cereal is sometimes boxed in a large cardboard box with a plastic bag inside. Other cereals are packaged in a simple bag.

From Trash to Treasure

Another way to reduce the amount of trash created is to reuse items instead of immediately throwing them out.

About a week before conducting this activity, ask each student to bring something to class that they or a family member were planning to throw away (see suggestions under Materials). Ask them to bring in appropriate items and to clean the item before they bring it in. They should not bring in items with sharp edges. As the students bring items in, put them in a large box. (Teachers can also bring in some items.)

Ever heard the expression “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? It means that some people enjoy reusing items that other people have thrown away. Reusing things is another great way to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills. Peek into a trash can in your house. Pick out something like a margarine tub or an empty box of cereal. Clean it and take it to class.

On the day you conduct this activity, display all the items. Ask, “What usually happens to these items?” (They are usually thrown out and taken to a landfill.) Do students know what it means to “reuse” something? Reusing can mean

using an item more than once,

finding another use for an item, or

making something new out of an item (something useful or just something fun).

How can you use that margarine tub again? Be creative—there are probably lots of places around the house where it would be nice to have a container in which to store things.

Have each student write down five ways their item might be reused. Ask students to exchange items and write down five ways another item might be reused. Have students share their ideas with the class.

Give the class examples of ways in which items can be reused. To find creative examples, go to the “Trash Matcher” at the Imagination Factory (http://users.hsonline.net/kidatart/).

Now You’re Really Talkin’ Trash!

Have students make a poster or other type of display for Geography Awareness Week using “trash” items. They could display an item just as it is or make something new out of items. Have students list their ideas for reusing the item. The poster should encourage other students to practice conservation by recycling.

Let your friends in on the great ways you’ve found to avoid taking out the trash! With your classmates, make a poster showing everything you’ve learned.

Taking Action

If the experience you just had makes you want to recycle, go for it! You can recycle at school, at home, in your church or synagogue—anywhere you’ve seen trash being thrown out! You can find dozens of ideas online at Student Web Links. If you’ve got an idea for recycling, tell your teacher, your family, or your friend. You can truly make a difference!

November 15 is America Recycles Day. Contact a coordinator in your state to find out how your students can get involved at the America Recycles Day Web site (http://www.americarecyclesday.org/).

One of the best ways for students to feel they are making a difference is to have them start a recycling program at school. For example, students can develop a recycling plan for paper:

Ask school custodians: “Where can items be recycled? What happens to the paper after it is collected?”

Contact a grocery store and ask if they will donate boxes. Put the boxes in every classroom and workroom. Tape box handles so they will last and label each box with a classroom number.

Schedule a plan, including assigning students to pick up the recycled material.

Advertise the new program with a poster. Have students come up with a slogan for the program.

The Center for Marine Conservation offers an Environmental Report Card that students can use to grade their school. Find the printable form at their site (http://www.cmc-ocean.org/mdio/reptcardprint.php3).

Adapted from “Reduce and Reuse What You Produce” from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. (http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/
Lessons/Lessons.htm).

Top

Student Page

© 2000 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.