In This Project You Will Learn How You Are Using And Wasting Materials, And How You Can Change Your Usage Patterns With A Foc

Name: ______Period: ______

Personal Materials Audit

In this project you will learn how you are using and wasting materials, and how you can change your usage patterns with a focus on conservation and efficiency. Remember that environmentally aware people do not only know they also do.

Making the leap from knowing something to doing something means that you have discovered that your actions are important in the overall operation of this planet. This also indicates that you have concluded that part of your responsibility is to act in an environmentally friendly manner. When everyone takes responsibility for his or her actions, EVERYONE benefits. Planetary resources benefit more people for a longer time and we preserve the beauty and balance of the biosphere on which we depend.

If you are going to take action, the questions of environmental ethics and values play a major role. All actions have goals, and your own ethics and values drive goals. In addition to environmental consciousness, each individual has many other factors that drive their values and ethics, and it is part of your job to look within yourself and examine the values that drive your goals and actions.

This audit depends on your accuracy, honesty and insight in examining your daily actions.

Procedure:

You will keep track of the basic balance of materials that come into (inputs) and leave (outputs) your home, and compare the recycled/refused/metabolized materials to those thrown out. “Thrown out” implies various fates; recycled at curbside, recycled at school, goes to the landfill.

Part 1: Outputs

1. Set up a system in your home where all “trash” is separated into four containers; one for organic waste (food, food-stained paper), recyclable waste (glass, aluminum, clean paper - no toilet paper/tissue/paper towels), possible reusable waste (plastic), and waste that must go to landfill (everything else) 2. Weight containers separately, before any materials are deposited. 3. Each night before retiring, weigh each container and record weight. Convert weights to kilograms. 4. At the end of the week, calculate kilograms/person/month of each output category from your home. 5. Document the following about each output: a. Compostable biomass – do you currently compost? If not, where do the wastes go? b. Recyclables – what materials do you recycle? c. Where do construction materials, furniture, appliances and other “big” wastes go? Part 2: Inputs

1. During the period of the audit, record EVERY MATERIAL THING that you buy – be sure to include clothing, drinks, magazines, etc. 2. Make a chart analyzing these inputs into you home. 3. Document the following about each input: a. Packaging of purchased materials - Does the product have excessive packaging? - Is the package recyclable or biodegradable? - Is there an option to buy in bulk to avoid dollar and environmental costs of excess packaging? - Name of store material bought at. - Are items stocked with an eye to environmental friendly packaging? - What kind of shopping containers are offered? - Does the store offer incentives to bring own shopping containers?

b. Newspapers and periodicals - How many newspapers and periodicals does your family acquire in a month? - Are they printed on recycled paper? Potentially recyclable paper? - After you are finished with the periodicals, what do you do with them? Are their other options?

c. Clothes - How much did you buy? - How is the used clothing disposed of? - How often do you buy particular items?

d. Food - How often does your family grocery shop? - Does your family buy organic produce? - Do you grow any of your own foods?