What a Waste! Objective: Grade: 6 Students will investigate issues regarding resource use and solid waste Subject Areas: Resources, Earth Science, entering landfills, and discuss potential Social Science, Economics solutions. Skills: observing, Materials predicting, classifying, • paper and pencils garbage bag • props to introduce modern • a old sheet or other ground analyzing, concluding culture vs. primitive culture covering (no plastic tarp) • video: The Story of Stuff by • A variety of cups Annie Leonard (optional) • alternatives to throw-a-ways Duration: 1 hour • clean garbage (make • statistics for consumption assortment ahead of time) and waste Connections: • gloves ecology, natural • a spring scale to weigh the resources, waste management Standards Strands: Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines Strand 1 —Questioning and Analysis: G) Developing explanations: Vocabulary Learners are to synthesize their observations and findings into coherent explanations. finite Strand 2 — Env. Processes and Systems: 2.3 Humans and Their Societies: A) Individuals and groups: Learners understand that how individuals natural resources perceive the environment is influenced in part by individual traits and group need membership or affiliation. F) Change and Conflict: Learners understand that human systems change over time and that conflicts sometimes arise over want differing and changing viewpoints about the environment. manufactured goods 2.4 Environment and Society: Human/environment interactions: E) Environmental Issues: Learners are familiar with a range of environmental conscientious issues at scales that range from local to national to global. They understand consumption that people in other places around the world share many of the issues they are concerned about locally. landfill Strand 3 - 3.1 Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues: C) Identifying and evaluating alternative solutions and courses of leaching actions: Learners are able to apply identify and develop action strategies for garbology addressing particular issues. trash California State Educational Standards: sustainable Resources: 6a. Students know the utility of energy sources is determined by factors that are involved in converting these sources to useful forms and the durable consequences of the conversion process. 6c. Students know the natural origin of the materials used to make common objects. Background more crops can leave less habitat a few examples. As new and better for wildlife; and more farm animals products come on the market, we often Consuming Nature leaves less space for wild animals. In toss out the old ones. The growing addition, the demand for energy is amount of trash left from a consumer odern society has many benefits increased with greater demand for oriented society is becoming a big Mbut the amount of consumption resources, which contributes to global environmental problem not only in and the corresponding production of warming. Furthermore, precious water American, but worldwide. waste is not one of them. The average resources can become polluted and American consumes over 100 pounds depleted. All of these things diminish of resources every day. This huge the quality of life. Piling Waste demand for resources puts pressure on the environment. The world we Many countries are using resources live in is finite or limited. As modern beyond their means. Industrialized When we take out the trash, we technology changes our needs and nations are more modernized and often say we are going to throw it wants, we need to find ways to reduce have large amounts of manufactured away, but there is no “away”. All of the amount of resources we consume goods. Manufactured goods modify our garbage goes somewhere. Many and the trash that accompanies our materials usually with the use of of the products we toss out can be many products. machines. Countries exchange goods reused, recycled or redistributed. and services. Manufactured goods Out of the 100 pounds of resources Everything that people make or use are much harder to trace back to a typical American consumes every comes from something else. Natural their origin compared to agricultural day, almost five pounds ends up resources are naturally occurring ones. For instance, the components as waste. Some good news is that substances used to meet human needs and labor required to make one pair more people are recycling. In 2009, and wants. A need is something of running shoes may include the over 33% of all waste in America people must have to live. A want, resources and manpower of a dozen was either recycled or composted. on the other hand, is something different countries. This means even Another 19% was incinerated; some people would like to have, but don’t the most wary and conscientious of which was converted to energy. necessarily need. Needs and wants of person can’t easily trace where all of This still means however, that over people differ based on their culture. the parts of his or her products come 50% of our waste ended up in landfills Every person has a different idea about from. A conscientious person is across the country; some completely what they “need” or “want”. Besides guided by their conscience and is unnecessarily. basic biological needs like food, air characterized by someone who takes and shelter, people also have social great care in decision making. A landfill can be any place where needs like clothing and medicine, and garbage is dumped, however, spiritual needs that revolve around When people buy things they don’t modern landfills are built to reduce faith and hope. really need, precious resources are environmental hazards like leaching. wasted. Food may be spoiled, clothes Leaching is the removal of soluble Regardless of culture, all people share may end up unworn and toys may sit substances by water. Certain the same resources with wildlife. on a shelf collecting dust. American chemicals, like lead and arsenic can Natural resources include fossil fuels, culture has sometimes been referred contaminate ground water and other plants, animals and minerals. The to as a “throw-away society”. Cheap nearby water supplies. A proper more resources we extract the more we and accessible goods promote more landfill has layers of thick plastic and modify the landscape. We can modify consumption. Consumption is when clay between the ground and the trash. the landscape in many destructive resources are used up. People may In addition, a layer of soil is put over ways: mining of minerals can leave buy new things because they feel like the trash every day to reduce odor and toxins behind; oil and gas can cause they can’t live without them; a new to encourage decomposition. Trash deadly oil spills; clearing land for cell phone or a DVD player are just in a landfill doesn’t decompose very Lost Coast Environmental Education Resource 2 quickly, however. This was discovered difference. Recycling one ton of paper resources. As resources are used, by a new field of science called saves between 15-17 mature trees. more waste is generated; much garbology. Garbology is the scientific of it being unnecessary. Learning study of trash. People by their nature use resources. about human actions and their For years, Americans have consumed consequences is an important part Our trash or municipal solid waste the most resources compared to any of being an active and informed (MSW) includes all of things we throw other nation. Our culture encourages citizen. Wise choices can lead to away into a garbage can or take to the us to buy new things. Other countries a healthier and happier future for dump. Common things include food are quickly following western culture. both people and wildlife. scraps, packaging, broken appliances, According to the U.N, China, India newspapers and yard waste. and other developing countries According to the Environmental will increase their consumption Protection Agency (EPA) packaging three-fold by 2050. Consumption and containers accounted for 30% is putting a strain on the world’s of all trash discarded in 2009. Furthermore, over 27% of trash was from yard waste or food scraps. These statistics show that a lot more of our trash can be intercepted (recycled or composted). Local Think Sustainably Connection Humboldt County Waste Management Authority When you take your garbage or recyclables to a transfer Some organizations, like The station or dump in Humboldt County, you are part of a waste Zero Waste Alliance (ZWA), are management system. Humboldt County is managed by The encouraging people, business and Humboldt County Waste Management Authority or HWMA. government institutions to become They offer curbside garbage and recycling service in Eureka sustainable. Sustainable refers to and Arcata ; and alternative locations can recycle a wide variety a rate of resource use that can be of goods when they take their garbage to a transfer station. continued without negative ecological In order to reduce waste, the HWMA encourages everyone to consequences. Their mission is to do the following things: come up with solutions through innovation and alternative life styles. • Buy and use durable, long-lasting products. • Send messages by email instead of postal mail. There are many ways people can • Start a carpool program. reduce the amount of waste they • Purchase items in refillable containers and buy in bulk generate. One of the first things a whenever possible person can do is to buy less. People • Bring a cloth bag or backpack when you go shopping. The can also stay away from cheap best answer to the question “paper or plastic?” is “I brought goods and buy durable ones instead. my own bag.” Durable goods are those that hold • Avoid disposable or single-use products such as disposable razors, pens, lighters, foam/paper cups and plates, plastic up well over time. For instance, a high utensils or batteries. quality camera will last a lot longer • Choose products that are the least toxic as possible to than a disposable one.