Student teams use the engineering design process to create a useful product of their choice out of recyclable items and "trash." The class is given a "landfill" of reusable items, such as aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, juice boxes,...

Students work in teams and give a presentation depicting the causes of pollution, the ways pollution affects the environment, suggestions for reducing pollution, and ideas for making things out of trash. Click on "Activity Summaries" and...

Everything you ever wanted to know about every household product available, from battery disposal to detergent and glue.

The amount of trash produced in the United States is mounting with each passing year. Communities are finding it increasingly difficult and costly to handle trash disposal. Recycling is considered a key solution to the garbage problem....

Capt. Charles Moore discusses the growing problem of plastic trash in our seas and oceans and what the solutions might be. [7:24]

This concise article looks at the definition of sewage and the cost of treating waste water.

This site is loaded with information on solid waste and hazardous waste. It includes industries' effects on the environment, waste programs, treatment, control, pollution prevention, recycling, and cleanup programs.

Explore averages and rates of change and apply to calculate the cumulative effect of garbage thrown out by people over time. Use population data from the U.S. Bureau of Census to estimate how much garbage your county threw away during...

In 1969, a group of Puerto Rican youth in East Harlem leveraged a garbage problem to demand reform. In 1969, a group of New York City youth known as the Young Lords demanded change in the way the largest city in the United States handled...

What happens to your old phone or laptop when you get a new one, and how does the increasing amount of technotrash impact the environment? Who makes all of your technological devices, and what kind of working conditions do they have? How...

A concise site that defines hazardous waste and looks at who is responsible for contaminating our planet.

A natural and less expensive approach to sewage treatment is discussed in this article about a California city that uses an artificial wetlands waste treatment plant.

Composting in schools, what's the value in it? Not only will it reduce your waste, it is a great science project. Try it out and learn how the earth "feeds" itself.

Earth Day is a worldwide celebration held annually on April 22nd. The purposes of Earth Day, the history of and the various activities held around the world are described. Activities and projects that can be done daily or year round are...

A short discussion of several different types of pollution and of the harm that it can do to the Earth. Includes a two-question reading-comprehension quiz.

In this instructional activity, students explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They will collect classroom trash for analysis and build model landfills in order to understand the process and impact of solid waste...