Objectives

We are doing this project so students can become more aware of the trash they produce (the type and amount.) This project is not meant to guilt trip students but to show them how much trash is sometimes unavoidable in daily life. We rely on certain materials in life and trash is something that is produced because of those needs or dependencies. We record all of the trash we made on a tally sheet.

Procedure

At the end of the week, we gathered as a class to take inventory of our trash by sorting it into seven main categories. (paper, paperboard/cardboard, plastic, aluminum, Styrofoam, mixed metals, glass, etc. being tabulated at the end of this time period.) Then we counted how many objects were in each category. After counting we weighed each category and then we weighed all of our personal trash. Finally,  our teacher, Alan McIntyre added up the total weight for the class in all of the categories. 

Plastic

I didn't produce a significant amount of plastic waste. Most of my trash was from packages. There was a candy that I ate that was all wrapped individually which made the number high because I counted them all. Lastly, I disposed of one plastic container for my shampoo. Plastic is very difficult to recycle, but very cheap and easy to produce. Plastics usually end up in landfills, incinerators, or the ocean. 

Paper

For paper, I had some schoolwork related sheets to discard. I also had reciepts that came from the packages. I was sick at the beginning of the week so most of the paper was the wax paper that wrap cough drops. Paper is commonly recycled unless it's contaminated with food. It can be turned directly back into new paper.

Cardboard

I had a lot of cardboard this week, this is because I received a lot of packages. Because I live internationally, I can't have a parent drive me to a store before school starts.  Many of the packages contained essentials like soap and food. Cardboard is a big money maker in the recycling industry and can be turned into a plethora of new products. 

Aluminum

I had two drinks in aluminum cans and one piece of foil that wrapped chicken tenders. Aluminum is very easily recycled; 75% of aluminum is still in use because of how much of it can be recycled. 

Glass

I didn't make any glass waste this week, because my favorite beverages come in metal cans.  This is because glass is heavy and breakable, making it hard to ship. Most glass has been replaced by plastic. Most glass waste comes from bottles of alcohol.

Mixed Metals

I didn't produce any Mixed Metal waste this week. This is probably due to living in a dorm and not interacting with any strange or miscellaneous waste. Mixed metals are often so mixed that they can be difficult to categorize or sort for recycling. Most mixed metals are melted down with and then turned into sheets or blocks for other use. 

Styrofoam

I had some styrofoam waste this week. This is also due to a package that was sent from Germany that had a load of packing peanuts. Styrofoam is very difficult to recycle because it requires a special process that most recycling facilities are not equipped to handle. 

 Q&A #1

1. Based on your observations of the solid waste materials displayed on all of the desks in the room, what type or category of municipal solid waste seems to be the most abundant?

Plastic is the most abundant waste in our observations. . I think this is because most things are made out of plastic. This means that no matter what you do, you have to encounter plastic. It's in almost everything we use including clothes, bottles, bags, and cigarettes. 

2. Describe three significant and specific environmental impacts which are associated with the "life cycle" of the material type which you identified in question 1 above.

Plastic is a very popular material this is because it's very cheap and easy to make. It's also very light so it's easy to ship from place to place making it even cheaper. Plastic cannot be easily recycled so it's one of the worst products for the environment. It usually ends up in landfills where it gets buried. Another place where it goes is incinerators where it gets burned for energy. Unfortunately, it often ends up in the ocean where it causes a lot of harm to the aquatic environment. 

3. If your parents completed this same solid waste project, how do you think their inventories would differ, in terms of types and amounts of materials used in a week or in a year? In addition to your thoughts on this matter, please discuss this question with your parents* and record their specific feedback regarding this point.

They produce a lot more food waste than I do because their household is bigger than mine. Although they get no packages and don’t eat any junk food, most of their waste is organic or packaging for groceries. I think they would produce more than me by weight because of leftovers or produce that’s gone bad but I think that their waste is better for the environment than mine because it is mostly compostable. "This is an interesting project because it made us realize how little waste we have while living in Saudi compared to our lifestyle in the states.  While in Saudi, we typically don't get packaged food or order takeout, we don't get amazon packages, and we don't use many paper/plastic products.  Paper products are difficult to find and expensive, so we typically use cloth napkins and cloth towels in the kitchen as opposed to paper towels and paper napkins.  Most of our waste is food.  We tend to "stock" the refrigerator with fresh produce, and sometimes overestimate how much we can actually eat.  This has become a little easier now that we are "empty-nesters" and only buy food for two people."-Stacy and John DuPont

4. Did you alter your choices about foods eaten and/or items purchased/used during the last seven days, due to the type or amount of packaging? Describe how your choices were modified during this assignment. If you did the bonus portion of the inventory, (the "carry*), was there ever a decision not to, for example, have a little orange juice, because it would mean needing to carry the large juice container around in your solid waste bag(s)?

No, not a lot of my waste came from food other than drinks or snacks. Most of my waste came from packages which is very hard to alter especially because all of it was ordered before I was aware of the project. I didn't rip up the boxes I received until the end of the week because I really didn't want to carry around the bulk of the boxes.

5. Discuss any aspects of this assignment that you found significant, meaningful, and/or worthwhile. Describe any experiences you may have had relating to this inventory/carrying of your MSW around campus for seven days that you think are memorable.

This assignment put a lot into perspective when you have all of your trash lined up and itemized in front of you. It makes you realize exactly what your actions lead to. I didn't have very many weird interactions but I did get a lot of very strange looks. I did have a good talk with my LS teacher about how trash can be a very personal thing and that it can contain lots of personal or private information. 

6. Would you change anything about this assignment? If "yes", please describe:

No, I wouldn't.  Trash is very sensitive and hard to deal with and I don't think that there are a lot of different ways to do this without causing problems. I think that there could be a little more looking into the difference between boarders and day students that could be interesting.  

Conclusion

This assignment helped me reevaluate how trash moves through the world and my contributions to that. Because I live in Saudi Arabia there is no transparency within our community and our trash stream. When I was talking to my parents I asked if they know anything about what our trash stream looked like. They said that someone collects trash every single day and that's the last they hear about it. There is no transparency in the system. This has led me to a path of obliviousness. That's why I enjoyed this unit because a lot of the information is brand new to me.