An Introduction to Waste KS2 Facilitators Notes

Transcription

1 An Introduction to Waste KS2 Facilitators Notes An interactive talk looking at waste issues and the 3Rs Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It can be presented as either an assembly or class based activity. Duration minutes. Learning Objectives: By the end of the assembly the pupils will: Understand that many materials are thrown away, that this causes problems and is unsustainable Learn the 3Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, as an introduction to the waste hierarchy Know that they can take action to reduce waste Resources: Material type labels (paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, glass, textiles, food & green waste, other) Dustbin and clean samples of waste items commonly thrown away in schools. Include examples of each of the material types listed above (e.g. sheets paper, cardboard box, plastic bottle, yogurt pot, cling film, drink can, foil, glass jar/bottle, t-shirt, banana skin, drink carton (tetra pak), crisp packet) Examples of reduce, reuse & recycle use examples particularly relevant to school as appropriate (see ideas sheet below for specific examples) Picture/OHP of a landfill site Waste Hierarchy OHP Delivery: The information below is given as a suggested outline, which can be adapted to suit your needs and the time available. Introduction: Materials in the bin Discuss with the pupils the kind of materials that they put into the bin during the day. Encourage them to identify the types of materials the displayed sample items are made of and place the items next to the appropriate material type label. Discuss which materials they think are thrown away most in school (usually paper from classrooms & offices and food and related packaging waste from lunchtime). Useful fact: if all the bins in the UK, in one year, were lined up end to end they would reach from the earth to the moon. The problem with rubbish Discuss what happens when the waste goes in the bin, related to the waste collection system in the area, and that it is currently sent to be buried in landfill sites. Show them the landfill picture. (Many children think that it is taken to The Dump which to them is usually the household waste sites). 1

2 Encourage them to understand that once things are thrown into the bin it is the end of their useful life (unless there is a dirty waste sorting system for household waste, where some things get recycled. There is no such system in Norfolk). Discuss the problems of waste: Destruction of habitats to extract natural resources used as raw materials in many of the objects we use. Explain that many of these things are disposable and have a very short life span but the natural resources take a long time to grow or form. Can we continue to do this? (Is it sustainable?) Too much waste running out of space to bury it Causes pollution when buried (e.g. releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere and can leak leachate, a liquid pollutant) Solutions Explain to the pupils that it s really important to try to do something to tackle the problem of too much waste and that there are some things that we can all do to help. Emphasise the need to make less rubbish and reduce give/show examples of ways they can reduce waste in school (and at home). Please see the ideas sheet for suggestions. Explain that when you have reduced as much as you can you then need to think about reusing things (using them again). Give/show examples. If you can t reuse them, can they be recycled? Discuss with the pupils the range of items that can be placed in their kerbside recycling bins and show examples. Talk about any additional materials that can be recycled elsewhere. Show them samples of recycled materials. Introduce the concept of the waste hierarchy the most environmentally beneficial action is to reduce waste, then to reuse and so on. Discuss the reasoning behind this order. If we all do everything we can to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible then we can all have an enormous impact on stopping so much waste going to landfill. Everyone to think of one thing they can do. Follow up: Look at websites that talk about waste issues Have a go at some of our other waste related activities 2

3 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Ideas Reduce Clingfilm sandwich wrapper Drink pouch Individually wrapped cake/biscuits Crisp packet Reuse Old clothes & textiles Plastic bottle Margarine tub/plastic Yogurt pots Recycle Paper (including envelopes & shredded paper) Card & tetra paks Metal drink cans, food cans, aerosols & foil Plastic bottles, food trays & yogurt pots Glass bottles/jars Fruit/vegetable peelings Reduce by Placing sandwiches/other food items in a reusable instead Using a reusable drinks bottle Taking some from a larger pack and bringing them to school in a reusable Placing homemade cakes/biscuits in a reusable Thinking of an alternative snack, such as vegetable sticks or bread sticks, that can be stored in a reusable Reuse by Donating to a charity shop Placing in a textiles bank Handing down to siblings/friends Rinsing out and refilling Washing out and using as a lunch box or for storing things in Washing out and using for junk modelling or glue/paint pots Recycle by or paper bank or bottle bank Placing in a home compost bin/wormery 3

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5 Least Damage to Environment Reduce Reuse Recycle Recovery Landfill Most Damage to Environment 5