Where does your rubbish go?
The aim of this exercise is to encourage pupils to think about what they throw away and what
happens to it afterwards. It provides some knowledge of household waste, materials and potential
disposal options and has an optional numerical/IT component.
The typical contents of a UK dustbin (2002) are:
Item
Percentage*
Adjusted % (to sum to
Tonnes per year
100 %)
(2003/4)
21
To be calculated...
19
18
9
Garden waste
20
Paper and board
18
Kitchen waste
17
General household
9
sweepings
Glass
7
7
Wood
5
5
Wood and furniture
5
5
Scrap metal/metal
5
5
goods
Soil
3
3
Textiles
3
3
Metal packaging
3
3
Disposable nappies
2
2
Total
97
100
25.2 Million**
*DEFRA http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/waste/kf/wrkf18.htm Accessed
25/11/10
**UK Parliament Website http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn252.pdf Accessed
25/11/10
The following treatment or options are available for each type of waste:
Item
Recovery
Energy recovery
Disposal
Garden waste
Composting
Anaerobic
Digestion/incineration
Paper and board
Composting/recycling
Anaerobic
Digestion/incineration
Kitchen waste
Composting
Anaerobic
Digestion/incineration
General household
Composting
sweepings
Glass
Recycling
Wood
Anaerobic
Digestion/incineration
Wood and furniture
incineration
Scrap metal/metal
Recycling
goods
Soil
Textiles
Recycling
Incineration
Metal packaging
Recycling
Disposable nappies
Incineration
Total
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Landfill
Much waste strategy in the UK and EU is underpinned by the waste hierarchy. According to the
waste hierarchy, the highest priority is to produce less waste; second to re-use (i.e., with products or
a component remaining in their original form); third to recycle or compost (i.e., recover materials,
without retaining the identity of products); fourth to lose but products and materials, but recover
energy by incineration or other thermal treatments with energy capture.
Waste Hierarchy
Suggested activities:
1. Pupils can use the internet to find the kerbside collection service offered in Hull – available on the
Council’s website.
2. Calculate the proportion of household waste that could be sent to each disposal mechanism.
3. Determine the combination of practices that would give the best performance in terms of the
waste hierarchy.
4. Discuss ways in which they and/or their families/schools could produce less waste.
5. Consider items that could be re-used, and in what ways.
6. Plot a pie chart to demonstrate the contents of the typical dustbin in the UK.
7. Bring items of waste to school to discuss what could be done with each.