By: Jennie Malonek @ Alhambra High School, LAUSD & Sylvia Kliever @ Kentwood Elementary, LAUSD

Objective:

Students will be able to discuss social issues related to solid waste mangement vs. technological issues of waste management. Students will be able to identify primary sources of solid waste. Students will be able to describe the concerns of waste management and conclude which waste management activities would actually have the greatest effect in reducing the volume of solid waste.

Materials:

• Marker
  
• Post-it notes
  
• Scissors
  
• Brain (student's not a cow's)
  
• Tag board

Procedure:

1. Ask students what are the primary sources of trash?
2. Have students identify current issues related to recycling, i.e. polystyrene foam, aseptic packaging, forced deposit legislation.
3. Share the MSW figures (see teacher background).
4. Divide students into groups of four.
5. Give each group 100 post-it notes and one piece of tag board.
6. Using the MSW figures have each group graph (using the post-it notes on the tag board, with each post it notes representing 1%) the percent of waste for each category by weight. Have students label each post-it note with the category of waste it belongs to before placing it on the tag board.
7. Post the charts and discuss the relative percentages represented by each category of solid waste.

Concluding Questions:

1. Which percentages are the largest?

2. What recycling, reducing, or reusing efforts would make the biggest difference in the final volume of solid landfill waste?

3. If beverage containers represent only 3% of the solid waste produced, why is this such a hot issue?

4. Since foam boxes make up less than 1/4 of 1%, why do some people consider this such an important issue?

   Disposable diapers make up less than 1% of the waste stream why is it such a current recycling topic?

5. What do you think are the most important issues in total waste management?

Extensions:

1. Have students canvas neighbors, parents and friends to find out what they think are the most important issues in solid waste management.

   Does this agree with the class list? Why or why not?

2. Have a debate to decide the most critical issue in solid waste management.