LANDFILL LAB
Please read instructions carefully and PLEASE clean up all spilled dirt and
return unused materials to center lab counter. Keep this in a safe place as we will collect data over
several weeks! DO NOT WRITE ON THESE INSTRUCTIONS OR REMOVE FROM
CLASS! THIS IS A CLASS SET!
Procedure:
1) Working in your assigned lab group, have someone from your group CAREFULLY obtain one
piece of all items below from the center lab station: newspaper, glass, rubber band, plastic
grocery bag, dry food item (cereal), foil, leaf, Styrofoam cup, and banana peel. BE CAREFUL
WHEN HANDELING BROKEN GLASS!! IT CAN CUT YOU!! IF you choose to add
something you brought from home, that’s great too, just be sure to collect data on it as you
do with these items above!
2) For EACH of the items you are placing into the landfill, PREDICT on a scale of 1-5 the
number that will apply to each item. (1 being completely NON-biodegradable (won’t break
down) to 5 being completely biodegradable) (Will break down). (Set up an organized table for
this)-Your group needs to design the data table to be complete, readable and contain all
information, so decide how you will do this!
*Be sure the piece of material will be able to be COMPLETELY buried in your bag! So,
BEFORE you collect data on the item, cut it down to fit! (NOT too small as you want to be able
to find it once we are done with this lab!)
3) For each item, record all possible physical characteristics you can observe (including texture,
color, size, mass, etc) and again record this information in an organized table! (See above)
4) Once you have predicted and collected initial observations, bury each item into your landfillagain be extra careful with the glass!! ALSO, be careful NOT to puncture your bags! IF you do,
use the packing tape to seal off the opening! You can also crumple up items so that they fit.
5) Now add a little bit of water (use the beakers found on the center lab island) to the top of the
soil. Don’t have water pooling on the surface or bottom! Just be sure the soil is moist all the way
through. You may have to reposition your items after you add water so that they are completely
covered with dirt!
6) Once items are fully buried, use the Saran Wrap to make a complete seal (lid) and tape it down
to the top of the bottle. Use the masking tape and markers to place your group’s names on your
landfill.
7) Place your landfills as instructed in the back of the room
8) CLEAN up everything including the sinks, floors and lab station tops! PLEASE throw out
ALL items NOT placed into someone’s land fill!