Waste Stream Project
Name ___________________________________ Date ________ Period _________ Score _________
The Average American produces 4.5 lbs of waste a day.
What kinds of things do we throw away? We tend to think that the litter we see is
characteristic of what's in our solid waste. What is taking up the most space in our
landfill? How much can be recycled? Re-used? How does disposal and recycling affect
the environment?
Your class will be divided into groups of 3-4 students. Each group will investigate
one portion of the waste stream: paper, electronics, yard waste, tires, batteries,
plastics, household hazardous waste, glass and metals. You need to find out what
products make up your waste stream, what portion of the waste stream is made up of your
material, and what recycling or re-use or other diversion options are available. If your
material is recyclable, what can be made from it? For example, if you are tasked with
investigating paper, what products are contributing to waste paper? Is it mostly
newspapers, or packaging, or perhaps old homework papers? What kinds of scrap paper
are suitable for recycling, and what are they made into? What are the environmental
impacts on the land, air and water of land disposal and of recycling? Each group will be
assigned a segment of the municipal solid waste stream (aka: garbage): paper, plastics,
yard waste, glass, metals, tires, batteries, electronics or household hazardous waste.
Much is known already about what makes up household waste. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes a report every year that provides excellent data on
waste generation and recycling. Start with information in the latest EPA report. You may
include information from other sources, but make sure any information is credible. The
EPA release from 2011 located on the website. The EPA site would be a good general
resource as well. WWW.EPA.GOV. You will complete a background search as
individuals and on day two compile your information. Your group will present to the
class information in which you address the following:
Questions to Answer and Present:
1. What products that we throw away contribute to your assigned material in the waste
stream? How much does each contribute? For example, if you are studying paper, what
products (such as newspapers, magazines, paper plates, paper bags, or junk mail) make
up paper in garbage?
Waste Stream Project
Name ___________________________________ Date ________ Period _________ Score _________
2. What components (if any) are problematic for disposal, recycling, or re-use of your
material? For example, we do not like to dispose of older computer monitors in landfills
because they contain lead.
3. How much of your material is recycled the U.S. currently? How much is re-used (if
any)?
4. What are the common products your material is recycled into? Re-used for?
5. Compare the environmental impacts of recycling, re-use, or landfill of your material.
Waste Stream Project
Name ___________________________________ Date ________ Period _________ Score _________
Team Members:
Waste Product:
Rubric : 5 pts each
_________1. Clearly identified what products that we throw away
contribute to your assigned material in the waste stream?
_________2. How much does each contribute or make up in total
amount of garbage?
_________3. Clearly identity what components (if any) are problematic
for:
a. disposal,
b. recycling,
c. or re-use of your material?
_________4. How much of your material is recycled the U.S. currently?
_________5. How much is re-used (if any)?
_________6. Clearly identified what are the common products your
material is recycled into? Re-used for?
_________7. Clearly identified the environmental impacts of recycling,
re-use, or landfill of your material.
_________8. Presentation and quality of project, pictures and
illustrations (reflective of the number of students in group)
We have the right to ask you to submit to Turnitin.com for plagiarism!!
If you do not have this rubric you will be deducted 5pts!