Challenge instructions

As we have said we need you to help Victoria reduce household food packaging by joining a citizen science investigation into household waste. At the end of the investigation we will be asking you to make recommendations to industry and the community about ways to take action to reduce household food packaging - both non-recycling (landfill) and recycling waste.

There are two parts to this challenge that you need to complete.

1. Audit: Complete a household packaging audit over 5 days and then submit your audit data via the link on the submissions page

2. Digital Story: Once you have submitted your audit, keep an eye on the tally page , and then create a digital story based on your overall observations and ideas for change. Like your audit, you will submit your digital story via the link on the submission page.

We have provided more detailed instructions below about each step. Keep in mind that you must complete both steps in order to enter the competition.

Part A: The household packaging 5 day audit

There are a couple of things you will need to do each day for your audit.

The first thing you need to do is keep track of the amount and kind of food packaging that is thrown away each day in your home. To do this follow the instructions below and record your data in a table. Below we have provided an example table that you could use. Please note the table only covers one day. You would need to make a table for all five days. The data you record in your table is what we want you to enter at the end of your five day audit.

Once you have your table:

1. Keep track of the food packaging that is discarded in your household each day.

You can do this by keeping a list of each item as it is used, or decide to collect it all in a separate bin or container each day.

2. Sort your food packaging into the following categories:

• Plastic (e.g. soft & hard plastics, and combined cardboard with plastic coating)

• Glass

• Paper & cardboard

• Metals (e.g. aluminium cans & foil, steel & tin)

• other (e.g. compostable waste - fruit or vegetable packaging that can go in the compost bin)

7. At the end of each day, or once your data has been recorded, you can discard the waste in the appropriate (recycling or landfill) bins, especially if the waste contains perishable items.

8. Once you have completed your 5 day audit and are ready to enter your data please go to the submissions page - look for the audit section and enter your data including you photos.

Once you have entered your data into the system, we have asked you to suggest up to three actions you think could be taken to reduce food packaging.

Your data will be added to our overall tally . Check our tally page for tally, photos and insights.

Part B: Your digital story

Once you have uploaded your weekly data, we will add it to our ongoing household food packaging tally page. Based on the tally data you see, we want you to create a digital story (no longer that 2 minutes) where you:

1. Record your thoughts about the data that you see on the tally page.

2. Based on the data make recommendations to industry about what changes they could to make to reduce food packaging.

You can use photos/images/text /tables/charts and voice in your digital story. Please remember not to include images/photos of people (including yourself) as we won't be able to share your stories on the website or on the big screen at Federation Square.

Challenge questions

We have provided you with a list of challenge questions for you to consider before creating your digital story.

1. Compare the categories and the recyclables within each category.

Can you recognise any patterns in your data and the overall tally? For instance, possible questions could include:

• Are some categories of waste more common than others?

• Are some categories more likely to be recycled than others?

• How much of your food packaging waste is recyclable?

• How much space (volume) does the non-recyclable and recyclable waste occupy? Are there any changes in types of waste across the week?

2. Consider when and why these patterns occur.

How do you explain these patterns? For instance, possible questions could include:

• Why do you think some types of rubbish are more common than others?

• Do you think this week’s data will be similar to next week? Or was it similar to last week? Or different at different times of year (Winter versus Summer)?

• Do you think there is more or less household packaging waste because of the COVID19 pandemic? Why?

• Will the results change once school goes back to face-to-face teaching for most students next term? Why/ why not?

3. Consider what food packaging waste means for a sustainable future.

What does food packaging waste mean for a sustainable future? Answer this question based on the data and your explanations to 'when and why these patterns occur'. Check out Helpful Resources for background research.

What recommendations would you make to industry about food packaging? Why? Do you have any ideas about things industry could do to reduce packaging? Remember that you also have to think about balancing food waste with food packaging so food doesn't spoil and is safe.