<< Previous Page | Page 2 of 12 | Next Page >>
|
Learning objectives |
Activities |
Curriculum Links |
Resources |
|
This is an introductory activity looking at the types of materials contained in waste and how this has changed over time. • Understanding the difference between volume and weight • Use of equivalents to measure waste • Design of a collage to graphically represent the equivalents • Understanding the changes in lifestyle between 1930s and the 1990s through changes in waste |
Activity 1-comparing the volume of waste with the weight of waste Activity 2 - devising a table of equivalents for how much each person throws away in one year Activity 3 - using information calculated in activity 3 to design a collage or poster Activity 4 - comparing waste composition from three different decades Extension Activity - Analysing the types of waste generated in the classroom and comparing with household waste |
Activities 1, 2 and 4 maths Activity 3 -Art Activity 4 -History Extension activity -Geography |
Calculators, digital scales, art materials, paper to draw graphs. |
Household waste is created by everyone but is part of a bigger waste management problem including commercial and industrial waste. Two of the main challenges in addressing waste management is the reliability of statistics and finding meaningful terms to communicate to householders the large amount of waste that is generated every year. For waste management purposes waste is measured in tonnes and recycling rates are calculated using tonnages. However for most people it is the volume of waste which is the most striking especially as the shift in waste composition from heavy less bulky items such as glass to lighter, higher volume materials such as plastic and packaging has taken place in many adult's lifetimes.
Since the 1930s there have been several lifestyle changes that have affected the composition of household waste.
Some of these are highlighted in this activity
· In the 1930s plastic was virtually unknown as a packaging material, most households had a coal fire which generated significant amounts of ash and was also used to burn paper. Generally people were more frugal and this could account for the reduced amounts of textiles and organic wastes. There may be other factors as well such as fewer houses with gardens that could affect the amount of organic waste generated. Liquids were packaged in glass containers the vast majority of which would have had a deposit on them for a return and refill system.
· By the 1960s fewer homes had coal fires because of the Clean Air Act of 1956, introduced after the severe smogs in the late 40s and early 1950s and the wider availability of gas and oil fired central heating. Glass deposit systems began to disappear and plastics began to appear in household waste.
· In the 1990s very few homes used a coal fire as their main source of heating, the range of plastic packaging has increased and in general people are more wasteful not reusing scraps in cooking. As people have become better off financially the amount of waste in tonnage and volume terms has risen steadily at about 2% per annum since the beginning of the 1980s.
Activity 1 - "Others" include heavy items such as wood, batteries, household appliances, fines (ash and dust) are also included this category.
Extension activity - see below
Collect all the items your class throws away in just one week. Sort into groups as shown in the table.
Weigh each group of material and fill in the table. If there are no items write zero.
|
Material Group |
Weight (g) |
|
Paper and Card Organics (things that rot) Metals Glass Plastics Textiles Other |
|
Write down the reasons why you think there is a difference between your class and the typical household waste on the information card?