MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE Recycling - Litter Prevention - Composting - Pollution

Grades K-3: Disappearing Trash

Students will learn which types of waste are biodegradable.

Materials:
Garden or compost soil
Markers, crayons or stickers
Containers: yogurt, dixie cups, clear cups or egg cartons
Test materials: tissue, fabric scrap, cotton, newspaper strip, fruit or vegetable scarp, toothpick, foil, plastic wrap, cardboard, leaves, candy wrapper, rubber and a marble.

Vocabulary: biodegradable, decay, decomposer

Procedure:

• Illustrate the amount of trash each student produces in a day by passing around something that weights about five pounds. Or, have each student step into a trash bag to show what that trash produced per person looks like.
• Discuss that materials in landfills will decay slowly if at all.
• Decaying Experiment:
  1. Organize students into pairs or teams.
  2. Each team will 4 label cups for the materials that they will be testing.
  3. Test materials should be placed in labeled cups and covered with garden soil. Keep soil moist during the experiment.
  4. Students will record on a lab sheet:
     • The materials that they are testing.
     • The materials they predict will decay.
     • The order that they predict the materials will decay.
     Observations can be recorded once a week or at the end of the month.
  5. At conclusion of the experiment, students will answer:
     • What materials have stayed the same?
     • Which items changed or completely decayed?
     • Why is it important to know which trash items decay?

Conclusion:

• Discuss why certain material did not decay during the experiment, and explain that some materials may take 20�100 years to decay. Why is this important?
• Share ideas about products that can be substituted for non-biodegradable items such as bringing your lunch in a cloth bag, using a thermos or water bottle, and storing leftovers in plastic or glass containers instead of plastic baggies.

Recycling - Litter Prevention - Composting - Pollution