NAME: ____________________________________________
Class period: ______
APES – GARBOLOGY LAB
INTRODUCTION:
The United States generates more solid waste, per capita, than any other country. Every man, woman, and child in the U.S. produces
an average of 4.38 pounds of solid waste per day. This amount corresponded to a total of 251 million metric tons in 2012.
According to 2012 data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/2012_msw_fs.pdf), of that 4.38 pounds of solid waste, 27.4% is paper, 13.5% is
yard waste, 8.9% is metal, 4.6% is glass, 12.7% is plastic, 14.5% is food waste, and 18.4% is miscellaneous materials. By analyzing
your own household waste stream, you can see how you compare.
Here are a few of the solid wastes U.S. consumers throw away:
 Enough aluminum to rebuild the country’s entire commercial airline fleet every 3 months.
 Enough tires each year to encircle the planet almost three times.
 About 18 billion disposable diapers per year, which if linked end to end would reach to the moon and back seven times.
Like it or not, humans produce solid waste, and it is our responsibility to deal with our waste in safe, cost-effective, and
environmentally sensitive ways.
PURPOSE
 Students will collect all trash accumulated in a two-day period and see just how much municipal solid waste they generate.
 Students will then calculate how their trash generated compares with the 2012 U.S. average.
MATERIALS
 Bathroom scale
 Digital scale
 Large trash bags
 Rubber gloves
PROCEDURE
 Collect all of your trash for a two-day period.
 Do not throw “dirty” trash in your bag i.e. if you use toilet tissue (which I hope that you do!), just mentally count the
number of squares you used and place this number of “clean and unused” tissue in your bag.
 You must carry this bag with you at all times for the two-day period.
 Set up a data chart with the categories listed in the solid waste breakdown from above.
 Separate your garbage into the various components to be weighed. Wear plastic or rubber gloves if needed, but they will then
contribute to your waste collection.
 To minimize mess, store and weigh organic food waste in a plastic container. Make sure that you subtract the weight of the
bucket each time you weigh the materials in it and wash it out at the end of the collection period.
 Weigh other materials like cans, bottles, and plastic containers when they are empty and dry. You can use a box to weigh
them, but make sure that you subtract the box’s weight.
 For yard waste and larger bulk items, use the bathroom scale and record the weight to the nearest pound.
 Divide each category subtotal by the total weight of garbage produced to get the weight percent for each category.
 If you do recycle or compost, divide the amount by the total amount produced to determine how much you are saving.
 Make a chart or graph of each category.
QUESTIONS/ANALYSIS
1. How do your numbers compare with the national averages? What factors might account for the differences?
2. How would your numbers compare if you kept track of your garbage for a whole year? Are there any seasonal variations in
waste generation?
3. How much could you effectively reduce your household waste by using a source-management program, such as composting
yard waste and recycling newspapers, bottles, and cans?
CONCLUSION
Clearly and concisely sum up the main idea of this lab experience using the data and make connections to “real life” experiences
and applications.