Having older children do a waste adult allows them to understand exactly what goes into their school’s garbage, and it also gets them to use a variety of mathematical concepts. You can find directions for a variety of different adults at www.recycleworks.org, but the essence of the project is to sort and weigh your school’s garbage. The cafeteria and custodial staff will need to be aware of the project, and parental permission slips may need to be mailed home, too. The day of the audit, wet waste will need to be separated from dry waste. The dry waste is sorted, weighed, and identified as recyclable or nonrecyclable. You can combine a recycling effort with a reduction effort if your school doesn’t have a recycling program yet. Still, reduction is the most important first step. What items found during the audit could be reduced or eliminated? Here are some tips for schools to reduce waste:
What else can your students come up with after looking at the waste?