Waste Reduction Week for Schools

Schools are places where a lot of resources are consumed and a lot of waste is generated. They are also places where the next generation of leaders, thinkers, consumers and conservers work to acquire the skills necessary for success in the world of tomorrow.

How to participate in Waste Reduction Week 2008

1. Check out the list of Ideas for Schools below or come up with your own great waste reduction project. Or visit the national web site of Waste Reduction Week in Canada to download a kit of resources and activity suggestions for schools.

2. Register your participation by e-mailing us directly at to tell us what you have planned. Or register on the national web site of Waste Reduction Week in Canada under Schools.

Waste Reduction Week Ideas for Schools

Make Recycled Paper
Making recycled paper is a fun activity that helps teach about trees, resources and conservation. For younger students, we suggest a method that does not require the use of an electric blender. Download Making Paper pdf.

Posters
Design a poster showing how to save energy or resources, how to reuse a common item, or what to put in the blue box or recycling depot. Any environmentally friendly action can be depicted including bicycling, composting, mowing with a 'reel' mower, or using environmentally friendly cleaners. Coming up with a catchy slogan to promote the practice makes it even more fun. Students can vote for their favourite poster.

Art with Waste
To highlight the idea of Reuse, have students make an art piece using materials that would otherwise be thrown away. This can be a revealing and imaginative project, that draws attention to the amount of waste that we produce. Afterwards, have a discussion about packaging materials, and get students to research over-packaged items that for sale in stores.

Media Study
Advertising is everywhere, and youth are often the target. Have each student find and analyze one or two newspaper or magazine ads, and discuss what the ads seem to be saying. Do the ads imply that students will be smarter, more attractive or more popular if they buy the product that is being promoted? Is it true? As a follow-up, have students design an 'alternative' ad that makes riding a bicycle as attractive or glamorous as driving a sports car. Or one that makes healthy food as appealing as sugary junk food. Or one that promotes the positive value of environmentally friendly practices like composting, recycling, walking to school or any other waste reduction activity.

Global Perspective
Have students explore the amount of waste generated by an average Canadian versus the average for someone in a developing country that they choose. What are the lifestyle differences between the two cultures that explain the different amounts of waste? Explore "Ecological Footprint" idea and discuss what would happen if every one in the world had a footprint equal to the average Canadian, and what we can do to reduce our footprint.

Life of a Product
Students can choose a product or food item (e.g. bananas, canned tuna, a pencil, a phone or a pair of jeans), and find out what resources went into making the item and where those materials came from. What chemicals or other inputs were used in its production? How far did it travel to arrive in the student's hands? How is it packaged? Were any of the materials in the product or package make from recycled materials? Are the materials renewable or non-renewable resources? What are some ways to reduce the environmental impacts associated with consumption?

Growing with Compost
One of the many benefits of composting is that the finished product is a great addition to soil. Have the students experiment with growing plants in soil from the school grounds versus the same soil mixed with compost. Is there any difference in the plant growth? This is a great introduction to the growing needs of plants and other organisms. (Tip: Radishes grow really quickly from seed!)

Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting is a process using a type of worm called 'Red Wrigglers' to break down organic materials. It is done indoors using a small box, and is well-suited to classrooms. Many teachers have found it to be a great starting point for discussions on waste reduction and cycles of nature, and students enjoy watching the worms break down the waste from their lunches. For more information on vermicomposting, and how to get started, RCM has prepared a guide to vermicomposting.

Conservation Reminders
Have students design specific reminders - Please Turn Off Lights, Please Recycle, and so on -- and post them near light switches, taps, garbage cans, photocopiers and printers. For older students, this can be a follow-up to an environmental audit.

Letter Writing
Have students practice their letter writing skills by writing a letter to the editor or to a member of government, explaining how they feel about the environment and why they think that it is important to protect it (and how). This can be an exercise in how to make a case for something, supported by evidence and expressed in ways that invite a positive response.

Host a Speaker
Host a speaker on an environmental issue. In Winnipeg, contact RCM's Environmental Speakers Bureau to book an environmental presentation. The list of topics is available here.

Litterless Lunch Contest
Weigh and chart the non-food garbage left at the end of each lunch period. Challenge another classroom to see who has the least amount of garbage at the end of their lunch. This can be a school-wide contest and teachers can compete too!

Walking School Bus
Start a walking school bus where parents take turns walking neighbourhood kids safely to and from school. Walking school buses increase safety around school zones because of less traffic, benefit the children and parents through increased physical activity, and reduce green house gas emissions! For more information and help on starting your own walking school bus, visit Active & Safe Routes to School.

Book/Toy Swap
Organize an event where students bring in books or toys that they no longer use. This can be done as a free exchange, or the items can be resold cheaply with the money raised going towards a school project such as the purchase of a compost bin or trees for planting on school grounds.

top