Students expand their understanding of solid waste management to include the idea of 3RC (reduce, reuse, recycle and compost). They look at the effects of packaging decisions (reducing) and learn about engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management. Also, they observe biodegradation in a model landfill (composting).

Engineers are involved in all steps of integrated-waste management. They use smaller amounts of materials to package products, and use recyclable and reusable materials when possible. Chemical engineers develop environmentally-friendly, recyclable materials. Engineers investigate ways to accelerate the decomposition process, develop industrial systems that burn trash for energy at power plants, and design innovative landfills that are more economical and reduce pollution. biodegrade compost environment integrated waste management recycle reuse trash waste waste reduction After this lesson, students should be able to: Understand different methods of waste disposal. Explain some of the major problems that waste disposal causes. Explain 3RC (reduce, reuse, recycle, compost). Describe the different steps involved in integrated waste management. Identify ways engineers are involved in 3RC and solid waste management. Trash… Did you know that people and industry produced more than 236 million tons of waste in 2003, which is about 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day? Wow, that's a lot of garbage! What are some different ways to dispose of trash? (Brainstorm a list of answers with students. Expect them to mention landfills and recycling centers, and maybe dumps, trash cans, compost bins, etc.).Write suggestions on the board. The most environmentally-friendly ways to dispose of trash are to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. We call these 3RC. These are the first four steps in "integrated waste management." This means that you try to reduce the amount of garbage by the first step (reduce) and with what garbage is left, you venture onto the next step (recycle), and so on, until the garbage or waste is all gone. The key is to have barely any waste left when reaching the last step. A total of seven steps comprise integrated waste management. (Note: You may want to have an overhead transparency or other classroom copy of the seven steps already made and available for your reference at this point; see the 7 Steps attachment.) The seven steps include (in order): reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, incineration with energy as a result, landfills, and incineration with no energy. Engineers are involved at every step of this process. Can you explain how? What might engineers do to make sure that very little waste is being handled by the processes in steps 6 and 7? (Answer: By developing better technologies to help with steps 1-5.) What things might you do to make sure that very little waste is being handled by the processes in steps 6 and 7? (Answer: 3RC: reduce, reuse, recycle and compost.) In this lesson, you will learn more about how engineers help reduce environmental waste and garbage today. No simple, single solution exists to solid waste management. The current thinking is that it should be an integrated, seven-step process, including the 3RC process (the first four steps), incineration (waste-to-energy), landfills, and incineration (no energy production). It is ideal to combine the first five of these in such a way as to eliminate — or at least drastically reduce — the amount of waste that has to be dealt with in steps 6 and 7. (Steps 1-4 represent the 3RC process discussed in detail in this lesson.) Step 1 Reduce As a society, we should make less waste overall. For example, we should buy items that have little or no packaging, rechargeable batteries, etc. Step 2 Reuse We should reuse items we normally throw away. For example, using paper lunch bags multiple times instead of throwing them away after just one use. Step 3 Recycle We should remember to recycle items that are recyclable (paper and plastic items have a recycling code stamped on the bottom to tell us if they can be recycled). Also, we can "close the recycling loop" by buying items made from and packaged in recycled materials. We must continue looking for new ways to recycle currently non-recyclable items. Step 4 Compost We should put our yard waste and food scraps in personal or community compost areas to enrich the soil. Step 5 Incineration (waste-to-energy) We should burn trash and use the heat to produce energy for power plants, etc. This should be done on the industrial scale, not at a personal level. Step 6 Landfills We should store any leftover waste in a sanitary landfill to reduce the risk to the environment. Step 7 Incineration (no energy production) We can burn trash just to reduce the amount of space it takes up. This is often done on an individual level (outside a single home), but it can also be done on an industrial scale. This type of incineration is really the last resort and should be the last thing that we do as it creates and contributes to environmental hazards. Engineers are involved at every step of this process. This lesson describes their involvement in steps 1-5. Please see Lesson 4 for engineers' involvement in landfill use. 3RC is an acronym for reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. The ability to be broken down by natural environmental processes (involving microorganisms) into basic elements like carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water. A process in which food, yard and animal wastes decomposes into new soil. Engineers often work to optimize the process so that biodegradation takes place more quickly and efficiently. A process by which aseptic packages are recycled. Water and agitation separate the packaging layers. Created from or by living organisms. Processing waste and using it as raw material for new products; that is, making trash into something useful instead of just throwing it out. It is often called "resource recovery" because it is actually recovering and reusing natural resources. Minimizing the production and consumption of items that are made from new, NOT recycled, materials. Not creating trash in the first place and lessening in amount, number or other quantity (precycling). Extending the life of an item by using it again, repairing it, modifying it, or creating new uses for it instead of throwing it away. It's All in the Package Composting - Nature's Disappearing Act Review the 7 Steps of Integrated Waste Management. Ask students to describe one way that they could help with solid waste management in their own homes, schools or communities. Which steps do their response srelate to (in terms of the 7 Steps of Integrated Waste Management)? Will it help decrease waste for steps 6 and 7? Challenge the class to reduce the trash that they produce and help one other person reduce his/her trash as well. Brainstorming: As a class, have students engage in open discussion to brainstorm different ways to dispose of trash. Remind students that in brainstorming, no idea or suggestion is "silly." All ideas should be respectfully heard. Encourage wild ideas and discourage criticism of ideas. Write suggestions on the board. Question/Answer: Ask the students and discuss as a class: (After going through each of the 7 Steps of Integrated Waste Management) How are engineers involved in each step? What might engineers do to make sure that very little waste is being handled by the processes in steps 6 and 7. (Answer: By increasing technologies to help with steps 1-5.) What might you do to make sure that very little waste is being handled by the processes in steps 6 and 7? (Answer: 3RC: reduce, reuse, recycle, compost.) Performance: Teach students the "Recycle Now" song (attached). Have each student sing a line until every student has had a chance. Quick Quiz: Ask students to: Write down what 3RC stands for. (Answer: Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost.) Describe one way you can be involved in 3RC. (Accept all reasonable answers.) Describe how an engineer might be involved in one of the 3RC steps. Math Assignment: Hand out the 3RC Math Challenge Worksheet as a challenge activity for students. Review answers during the next class period. Arrange to teach a younger class about recycling (natural and human). Pair each student with a student in a younger class. Have the older students teach the younger students the "Recycle Now" song. Share some of the stories in Recycling (Making a Better World), by Gary Chandler and Devin Graham, Kevin (published by 21st Century, 1997). Try using some of the "Recycle City" activities at the EPA website at: http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ Be sure to check out the "Information for Teachers" in the Activities section. Conduct some of the recycling games and activities provided at the PackNBoxNow website at http://www.packnboxnow.com/library/recycle_those_boxes.htm. Have students take the "It's not all garbage!" quiz at EEK (Environmental Education for Kids) at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/notgarbage.htm Try out some of the activities in "Recycling and Beyond" at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/index.htm Check out pictures of Simon Rodia's "garbage sculptures" at http://www.wattstowers.us or from books in your library. Mr. Rodia spent 33 years creating garbage sculptures, of which some parts are more than 60 feet tall! Ask students what effect they think Mr. Rodia's efforts had on the surrounding community. How was engineering knowledge useful to him in creating his sculptures? (Note: Encourage students to consider structural and material engineering ideas.) Discuss similar activities in your community. Think of trash as a resource that hasn't yet found its usefulness. Challenge students to design useful products with the limitation of only using recycled materials (for example, toy, bird feeder, piggy bank, pencil holder, picture frame, handmade paper or artwork, gifts, etc.). For ideas, start with the suggestions and links at Creative Displays Now's "Creative Cardboard: Environmentally Friendly Recycled Art Projects for Kids" website at http://www.creativedisplaysnow.com/articles/creative_cardboard.htm Invite a local artist/artisan to discuss how s/he recycles or reuses material in his/her artwork or profession. Blashfield, Jean F. and Black, Wallace B. Recycling (SOS Earth Alert), Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 1991. Chandler, Gary and Graham, Kevin. Recycling (Making a Better World), New York, NY: 21st Century, 1997. Department of Natural Resources, State of Wisconsin, Environmental Education for Kids, "7 Steps to Shrink Your Trash" at: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/earth/recycle/seven.htm Glencoe Science: An Introduction to the Life, Earth and Physical Sciences, Student Edition, Blacklick, Ohio: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2002. Sterling, Mary Ellen and Vasconcelles, Keith. Thematic Unit - Ecology (Intermediate), Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 1991. Wastes. Last updated March 23, 2011. US Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed April 6, 2011. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm Woodburn, Judith. Garbage and Recycling, Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1992. 7 Steps of Integrated Waste Management Transparency (pdf) "Recycle Now" Song (pdf) 3RC Homework Math Challenge Worksheet (pdf) 3RC Homework Math Challenge Worksheet Answers (pdf)