waste watchers - Earth Day Hamilton

WASTE WATCHERS
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In this package you will find:
Waste Watchers Workshop Overview .................................................................................................................................... 2
Create your own Waste Streaming Board .............................................................................................................................. 3
Battery or Electronics Collection............................................................................................................................................. 4
Follow-up Waste Audit ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
Junior Waste Watchers Activities ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Waste Facts ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Turn Waste Into Art Activities ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Think About Waste Activities .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Go Green as a Class!.............................................................................................................................................................. 10
EcoSchools Points and the Waste Watchers Workshop ....................................................................................................... 11
Other Resources.................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Complete follow-up Junior Waste Watchers Activities and be recognized on the Waste
Watchers website!
One class will win a special prize!
The Junior Waste Watchers activities are outlined in this package. You and your class will be recognized on the
Waste Watchers website and at the Earth Day EcoFestival if you:
 Complete a second waste audit and share your results with Waste Watchers
 Build your own Waste Streaming Board and share pictures with Waste Watchers
 Teach at least one other class about waste reduction and tell Waste Watchers about it
 Bonus activity: Host a battery collection or electronic collection in your school
Classes that complete all the above activities, including the battery or electronics collection, will be entered in
a draw for the title of “Expert Junior Waste Watchers” and be featured on the Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington
website as well as at the annual Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington EcoFestival.
WASTE WATCHERS
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Waste Watchers Workshop Overview
Below is a quick review of what was covered during the Waste Watchers workshop.
What is Waste?
Waste is anything you throw away, including items that go into the recycling bin, the green cart or the
garbage. Waste affects everything and everyone on the planet, including the air, water and soil, animals, birds,
fish and of course us.
Classroom Waste Audit
Students perform a classroom waste audit, getting hands-on with their waste and discovering how much they
make in a day. Estimates are then made about the waste generated by their school in a day and over the
school year.
What is a Landfill?
A landfill is where most garbage ends up. A landfill is a large, dug-out area that is lined with clay or plastic.
Garbage is trucked in and buried at the end of every day.
How long does it take for garbage to decompose?
Garbage is left in the landfill to decompose. An item decomposes by breaking down into smaller and smaller
pieces, eventually returning back to the Earth. Some items take much longer than others to decompose;
usually these items are ones we can reuse or recycle, like plastic and glass bottles.
The 3Rs
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; they are in that order because that is how they are most effective at reducing waste.
Reduce
Use less of an item (such as paper towel) or avoid using an item (such as a straw) to reduce your waste. Many
items can be replaced with reusable versions (like plastic grocery bags versus cloth) to reduce their use.
Reuse
Reuse an item at least once before throwing it away. Be creative and use items in fun, different ways, such as
creating art or making a bird feeder.
Recycle
Recycling is good, it lets us save natural resources (like trees) but it is not perfect. Recycling still takes inputs
(such as chemicals and energy) and so recycling only when we are completely done with an object is best.
New Rs
The 3Rs are good are helping us to create less waste but there are other Rs that are useful too. A few
examples: Repair; Refuse; Remember; Rebuild; Redesign.
Waste Streaming Board
The Waste Streaming Board is a visual reminder of where waste goes (recycling, garbage, reusable, etc).
WASTE WATCHERS
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Create your own Waste Streaming Board
Design and create your own Waste Streaming Board as a class. Use the board provided by Waste Watchers as
a starting point.
Decide as a class on the categories you want to have on your class’s Waste Streaming Board.
Categories to include:
Recycling – Compostable – Reuse – Garbage
Categories to consider:
Repair – Refuse – Community Recycling Centre – Return - Repurpose
Have the students create a list of what items should be included on the Waste Streaming Board. Items that are
typically found in the classroom, such as lunch waste, are best to include.
Have the students attach examples of waste in each of the categories. For example, wash and attach a juice
box or food wrapper instead of using a picture or text.
The Waste Streaming Board is meant to be a dynamic part of the classroom. If students notice items missing,
add them; if students think of a new category, add it.
Bring your Waste Streaming Board to other classrooms and challenge other classes to reduce their waste.
If unsure where an item belongs on the Waste Streaming Board, refer to the City of Hamilton’s comprehensive
list of “What goes where”:
https://www.hamilton.ca/CityServices/Garbage-and-Recycling/What-goes-where/
WASTE WATCHERS
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Battery or Electronics Collection
Host a battery or electronic collection in your school community. Batteries and electronics should not be
throw in the garbage, they contain hazardous materials and can be recycled when disposed of correctly.
To host a battery and cell phone collection contact Call 2 Recycle. They will give your school the materials
needed to safely collect batteries and old cell phones (container, bags, instructions) as well as provide free
shipping of the full container when the collection is complete.
www.call2recycle.ca 1-888-224-9764
To host a collection of larger electronics (computers, televisions, etc.) contact Golden Horseshoe Green Tech.
This local organization collects electronics for free and teaches volunteers and youth how to repurpose used
computers (when possible).
www.ghgt.ca 905-581-1108
Follow-up Waste Audit
Performing a second, follow-up waste audit as a class will show you and the students how much you have
been able to reduce your classroom waste.
The second audit can be performed like the one in the Waste Watchers workshop.
First, do not tell the students the day the audit will be, so you can audit a ‘typical’ amount of waste.
Next, after lunch/snack, divide the class into groups and put the recycling and garbage into separate clear bags
(as many bags as there are groups). Give each group a bag of recycling or garbage and the Waste Audit
worksheet (see next page).
Each group should visually inspect their bag and complete the worksheet by showing the proportions of the
different waste types in their bag. The worksheet is filled in similar to a pie or circle chart, with the empty bag
acting as the circle.
WASTE WATCHERS
Waste Audit
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Waste types:
Garbage
Bag type:
Things that cannot be
recycled or composted
Weight:
Compost
Things that go in the green
cart like food or coffee
cups
Recyclable paper
Only paper that can be
recycled
Recyclable containers
Plastic bottles, pop cans,
glass bottles, etc.
Other
Batteries, electronics
What did you find that surprised you?
WASTE WATCHERS
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Junior Waste Watchers Activities
Junior Waste Watchers have taken part in the Waste Watchers workshop.
They now are experts on waste reduction and should share this knowledge with their family, friends and
school community.
Green Announcements
Purpose: Challenge students to share their waste reduction knowledge
with their school while they learn about marketing and public speaking
Students work in groups to create ‘Green Announcements’ for your
school’s morning announcements.
Possible topics: recycling; creating less waste; boomerang lunches;
donating used clothing; disposing of batteries and electronics properly.
Having a battery or
electronics recycling day?
Use the announcements
or posters to advertise
the event!
Waste Watchers Poster or PSA
Purpose: Students will learn about sharing information in a visual format
Create a poster or PSA (Public Service Announcement) encouraging the
school to reduce waste.
Possible topics: recycling; repairing; reducing the use of items (like plastic
bags); what to do with Household Hazardous Waste (like batteries);
Boomerang Lunches; donating usable items to thrift stores.
Dear Grocery Store,
Letter writing campaign
Purpose: Challenge students to think form opinions about waste and
take an action to change it
Please use less
plastic on your
fruits...
Have students write a letter about a waste topic that concerns them.
Examples include
 Writing the School Board or City of Hamilton asking them to
include specific items in their recycling
 Writing a Product Manufacturer asking them to reduce packaging
 Writing a Retail Store asking them to reduce packaging or plastic
Teach another class
Purpose: Students learn leadership skills by teaching others about waste
reduction
During the Waste Watchers workshop students were taught several
different games that focus on waste reduction. Have the students teach
these to another class in their school. They can also perform the waste
reduction commercials created in the workshop.
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Waste Facts
Recycling - Did you know?
 The blue box is a made-in-Ontario concept
 It was started in 1981 by a coalition comprised of environmental,
beverage and industry innovators
 It began as a Pilot Project in Kitchener, Ontario. A container was
needed for householders to put recyclables at curbsides
 Delegations from around the globe converged in Ontario to see how
it worked
 In 1989, Ontario’s blue box system won the first ever United
Nations Environmental Award for its unique contribution to fighting
pollution
 Today almost all of Ontario’s 4.6 million household have access to
recycling systems
 Between 1996 and 2003, the amount of recyclables recovered in
Ontario increased by 47% (Population growth was 27%)
 In 2008 Ontario recycled or composted 2.8 million tonnes of waste,
equaling a 22.6% diversion rate of waste from landfill
Hamilton Statistics
 The Green Cart program was introduced across the City of
Hamilton in 2006
 When the green bin was introduced across Hamilton the waste
diversion rate jumped from 30% to 40%
 Hamilton has a goal of diverting 65% of its waste from landfill,
as of 2011 it had a 49% diversion rate
 Further information on the City of Hamilton Waste
Management: www.hamilton.ca/CityServices/Garbage-andRecycling/
Community Recycling Centres
 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) includes items such as
batteries, cleaners and paints
 Warning symbols, such as corrosive, poisonous, explosive and
flammable, are found on HHW
 HHW can be brought to a Hamilton Community Recycling Centre
 Other items to bring to Community Recycling Centres include
electronics, white goods and large furniture
 Information on Hamilton’s Community Recycling Centres can be
found at: www.hamilton.ca/CityServices/Garbage-andRecycling/Community-Recycling-Centres/
WASTE WATCHERS
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Turn Waste Into Art Activities
Recycled Art
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
Purpose: Have students see waste in a new way by
using it to create a mural
Have students bring in items that would normally
get thrown out or recycled.
In groups, create art with the items brought in.
Students should lay out their design before they
glue/attach them to a piece of cardboard or wood.
Attach the items using hot glue and use paint or
markers to add colour. Encourage students to
reuse images and lettering from magazines.
Stay safe and clean
Remind students to only bring in items that
are clean and not broken.
Upcycle!
Purpose: Make something useful from an item normally considered waste
Create something new out of something old. Have each student bring in an object (or two) that would
normally be recycled or thrown away. Students should make the object into something new and useful.
A few examples:
 Use an old t-shirt to make a tote bag or new piece of clothing
 Create a bird feeder from old milk cartons, juice jugs or pop bottles
 Cut and weave plastic bags together to create a place-mat or floor mat
 Create a desk organizer for pencils, crayons, etc from old cans, pop bottles and other materials
Follow up activity: Have the students create a slogan and ad campaign to sell their upcycled creation.
WASTE WATCHERS
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Think About Waste Activities
Too much trash?
Purpose: Think creatively about the problems associated with
waste removal and purpose solutions
Write a short story or essay about an imaginary town that could no
longer collect its citizen’s waste.
Students should write about what caused the problem of excess
waste and the ways the citizens tried to solve it. Encourage the
students to think of creative solutions but also real-world solutions
that they could use at home and in the school.
Ecological Footprint
Purpose: Teach the students about the impact their actions are
having on the planet
Have the students calculate their Ecological Footprint. Calculate
the average footprint for the class and compare it to the average
Canadian Ecological Footprint. Discuss ways to lower your
Ecological Footprint.
Follow-up activity: Have the students create a list of ways they can
reduce their Ecological Footprint. Think of activities they can do
individually, such as composting, walking more, and conserving
water.
Challenge them to think of bigger changes that would need to
happen on a larger scale, such as using electricity from renewable
energy sources and building more efficient buildings.
Footprint Calculator:
www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators
This calculator is available online and would be best to work
through in the computer lab.
WASTE WATCHERS
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Go Green as a Class!
Green your classroom and help your school earn EcoSchools points with the following activities.
Count visits to the Garbage
Encourage students to think before they throw something away; can it be recycled or reused instead? How
can they avoid making that garbage in the future?
Place a sign on or near the garbage container(s) in your classroom, reminding students to ‘Think first’ before
they throw something away. This can also be done by putting a lid on the garbage with a ‘Think first’ sign. You
can also have students count the number of trips they make to the garbage.
GOOS (Good On One Side) Paper
Create a bin or box in the classroom where teachers and students can put paper that has only been used on
one side. Encourage students to use paper from this bin when making rough notes, working through math
problems or doodling.
Participate in the Earth Day “Go Green Challenge”
Challenge your class and school to participate in the Earth Day “Go Green Challenge”. Complete green
activities to earn points and compete with other schools in Hamilton.
Details can be found at: http://earthdayhamilton.ca/2011/events/eco-festival/
Litterless or Boomerang Lunches
It has been estimated that, on average, a school-aged child bringing a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of
waste per school year. A school with 500 students can create 33,500 pounds of waste every year! Much of
this waste is sent directly to landfill where it will stay for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.
Litterless lunch tips:
 Pack a cloth napkin instead of a paper napkin
 Pack reusable utensils instead of using disposable plastics
 Pack a reusable drink container instead of disposable juice boxes, juice pouches, cans, or plastic bottles
 Use reusable containers (margarine containers, Tupperware) instead of plastic baggies
 Avoid plastic wraps, plastic bags, wax-paper bags, and aluminum foil and pre-packaged items
 Buy food in larger containers and then separate into smaller reusable containers
 Pack lunches in a lunch box or reusable bag rather than relying on paper or plastic bags
A boomerang lunch is where the students leaves no waste at the school but instead brings any waste home
with them. This decreases the amount of school waste but also helps parents see what their children are
eating and how they can create less snack/lunch waste.
WASTE WATCHERS
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EcoSchools Points and the Waste Watchers Workshop
The Waste Watchers staff and volunteers as well as Junior Waste Watchers (students who completed the
workshop) are available as resources to help earn Ontario EcoSchools points.
Below are the EcoSchools connections that can be made by having a Waste Watchers workshop. The
connections are from the 2012-2013 Certification Guide for Ontario EcoSchools.
Teamwork and Leadership
1.5 Nurture Student Leadership through EcoTeam (2 points)
 Activities from the Waste Watchers workshop were designed so Junior Waste Watchers can share
them with other students in their school – this can be done through the EcoTeam as well
1.6 Environmental Program Visibility (1 point)
 Some of the follow up Junior Waste Watchers activities involve educating the rest of the school about
waste reduction through announcements, posters, etc – these activities can be done with the EcoTeam
as well
 Junior Waste Watchers are also encouraged to teach other classes what they learned in the Waste
Watchers workshop – again, this can be done in conjunction with the school’s EcoTeam
Waste Minimization
3.3 Reducing food waste (3 points)
 Boomerang and litterless lunches are discussed in the workshop
 Junior Waste Watchers can work with EcoClub to teach students about how to have a litterless lunch –
create posters and announcements as well
3.12 Waste Audit (4 points)
 The waste audit done during the workshop does not qualify for EcoSchools points but by completing a
classroom waste audit students will be prepared and able to help complete a full school waste audit
Curriculum
Follow-up Activities and Lessons (2 points or more)
 Provided in the Teacher Resource Package from Waste Watchers are follow-up activities and lesson
ideas which can be applied to get Curriculum points from EcoSchools
Free Trip to City of Hamilton Recycling Centre (2 points)
 Available only to the first 12 schools who request it, Waste Watchers, in partnership with the City of
Hamilton, will provide a free trip to the City of Hamilton Recycling Facility
Environmental Stewardship
Battery or Electronics Recycling Day (4 points)
 Junior Waste Watchers are encouraged to organize a battery or electronics recycling day within their
school – this can be done in conjunction with the EcoTeam
 Junior Waste Watchers and the EcoTeam can create posters, announcements, a piece for the parent
newsletter, etc to promote the event and environmental importance of disposing of household
hazardous waste correctly
 Contact Call 2 Recycle (www.call2recycle.ca 1-888-224-9764) or Golden Horseshoe Green Tech
(www.ghgt.ca 905-581-1108) to organize a drive in your school
WASTE WATCHERS
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Other Resources
Tim Horton’s Earth Day Hamilton EcoFestival
May 28, 29, 30 2013 – Royal Botanical Gardens
Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington’s annual EcoFestival is for students in grades 4 and 5. Register your class to
attend the annual EcoFestival for a full day of hands-on workshops, interactive displays and outdoor game s
and hikes.
The festival is free to attend, although schools are limited to sending two buses.
To register or find more information please visit the Earth Day Hamilton-Burlington website:
http://earthdayhamilton.ca/2011/events/eco-festival/
Ontario EcoSchools
Environmental Education Program
Waste Management is one of the sections of the Ontario EcoSchools program. To help classes and schools
reduce their waste Ontario EcoSchools has compiled a great resource full of activities about waste that
connects to the curriculum.
Read Waste Minimization Learning Activities to find further activities for you and your class of Junior Waste
Watchers to complete.
http://www.ontarioecoschools.org/curriculum_resources/waste_ele.html
Green Venture
EcoHouse with School Tours
EcoHouse is sounthern Ontario’s only retrofitted environmental demonstration home and provides students
with a unique opportunity to see environmentally friendsly technologies and behaviours.
They offer curriculum based tours for multiple grades on a variety of topics includeing wise water use, energy
conservation and waste reduction. Green Venture also offers a general sustainability tour that can be geared
toward any grade level.
Visit their website or call for more information.
http://ecohouse.greenventure.ca/educational-programs
905-840-8787 x154