Solid Waste Management

Here's a lesson that's not for the birds! Scholars design and build packaging for soda cans that is environmentally friendly. These packages must be durable, easy to carry, and have no environmental impact.

One 17-ounce bottle of Cola requires around 46 gallons of water to produce. How is that possible? Young scientists learn about the hidden water used to produce everyday items. They research, discuss, and look for ways to reduce water...

Students demonstrate effects of waste on environment and ways of reducing it, observe how much packaging goes into bag lunches each day, and survey their families to assess awareness levels and household recycling practices. Lessons all...

In this product packaging conundrum worksheet, students research product packaging to select materials and design for packaging a model of the school mascot.  This page has numerous links to helpful web resources.

Students design streamlined packaging designed to reduce waste production. In this waste reduction lesson, students view a diagram to introduce the concept of the engineering design process and discuss ways that packaging can be useful....

Breathe some life into product design. Pupils learn about the stages of product creation, use, and disposal—sometimes called a cradle-to-grave assessment. They see how this cycle relates to the life cycle of organisms.

Middle schoolers are able to list the types of household waste that they produce daily. They are able to describe some other types of waste that are produced by industry or agriculture to help maintain their lifestyles. Students are...

Students determine the percentage increase in output of solid waste in the U.S. They determine the length of time it takes for throw away items to decompose.

Students study product packaging and determine if it is excessive and if it is recyclable.  In this packaging lesson students examine and identify waste reduction techniques. 

Students make an environmentally sound package. For this packaging lesson students examine various types of modern packaging. The problem of waste is discussed leading into a discussion of waste reduction. The students choose an item...