By: Jennie Malonek @ Alhambra High School, LAUSD & Sylvia Kliever @ Kentwood Elementary, LAUSD
Objectives:1. To compare the mass and volume of lunch trash produced at different school sites.
2. To compare the amount of lunch trash that can be recycled, reused, or composted between different school sites.Materials:
- Aprons
- Scale
- Plastic gloves
- Large trash bags
- Tag board
- Markers
- Plastic container with handle for liquids
- empty two liter bottle
Procedure:
- Coordinate the Watch Your Waste Event with the principal, plant manager, cafeteria manager, cafeteria custodians, and faculty.
- Students make posters announcing Watch Your Waste Day.
- Post announcements around the school and introduce the event as appropriate for your school site.
- Measure the capacity of your plastic container for liquids (i.e. a large plastic trash can) using a 2 liter bottle, by seeing how many bottles it takes to fill the container to approximately 3/4. Mark with a permanent marker.
- Weigh empty trash bags and empty liquid container.
- Have students ready to collect and sort trash at lunch. Trash should be sorted into different garbage bags for the following categories:
paper, metal glass, plastic
solid food, liquids
other
- Students not holding the trash bags will be needed to help sort the trash into the appropriate bags and collect the liquid. Other students with additional trash bags will take their places as the various bags become full.
- Weigh each student who will hold a bag.
- Weigh each student holding their assigned bag. Record in grams/kilograms on the Student Activity Sheet.
- Subtract the student's weight and the weight of the bag from the combined weight total. Record. *** For the liquid container simply add the volumes of liquid collected.
- Total the weights of trash for each category.
- E-mail your results to target@laep.org
- Retrieve data from this homepage. Compare and contrast your school with others.
- Report back to your school on the results.
Concluding Questions: 1. Were the amounts of waste collected in each category what you expected?
2. How might the volume of trash be reduced at your school?
3. How does your school's volume of trash compare to other schools?
Student Activity Sheet Weight of 1 garbage bag _________________
Weight of empty liquid container _______________
No. of times the container was filled _______________
category Bag #1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Combined paper wt.
Wt. of paper monitor
Wt. of paper Combined solid food wt.
Wt. of solid food monitor
Wt. of solid food
Combined metal wt.
Wt. of metal monitor
Metal wt. Combined glass wt.
Glass monitor wt.
Glass wt. Combined plastic wt.
Plastic monitor wt.
Plastic wt.
Waste Not, Want Not is a part of LAEP Learning Exchange.