Lesson 19 -20 Waste Management (2 days)
Background: In major chemical manufacturing plants such as Pfizer in Groton,
Connecticut, there are about 30 different waste streams. These waste streams range
from general office waste such as paper and computer hardware, to lab solvents, to
reactive and radioactive waste that costs $40,000 per liter for disposal. For the sake of
the simulation, waste streams will be simplified into three categories:
Hazardous
Non-Hazardous, Non-Recyclable
Non-Hazardous, Recyclable
~ If you used the character of Seymor Mess during the Breaking News Activity,
you may also want to preface this lesson with an appearance by Sue Emall – see
role card on the last page of this lesson.
Objective: Learners will:
Estimate the amount and types of waste students have accumulated during
their crayon manufacturing process.
Understand that waste streams exist in manufacturing processes.
Understand the costs involved in disposing of manufacturing waste.
Use percentages, fractions, weight, and measurement to calculate the costs of
disposing of their company waste.
Use a graph to illustrate their waste percentages.
Make modifications to their manufacturing process to reduce the cost of waste
disposal.
Time needed: 45 minutes
Materials: per class
25 copies of Waste Management Math Student Sheet
25 copies of Waste Management Waste Category Student Sheet
25 copies of Waste Management Math Ideas for Production Waste Reduction
Digital balance scale or triple beam balance
25 rulers
5 calculators
Graph paper and construction paper
Newspaper
Assessment: 3D Graph Rubric
Anticipatory set: On the SMART Board write: What do we do with our waste?
PREP
Spread newspaper on the floor in a place where all the students can see.
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Part 1
Ask students to get their Company Waste Container out.
Pass out Waste Management Math-Waste Category Student Sheet. Explain
to the students that these are the EPA approved waste streams available to
them. Use one of the companies waste and discuss each of the categories.
Explain to the students that they have to do something with the waste or it will
become a hazard.
Explain to students that they will be dealing with and paying for their waste
today.
Pass out the Waste Management Math Student Sheet. Review the table that
they have to complete.
First task is to weigh and record the mass of total waste of each company.
Have each company put all of their waste in the Ziploc bag so it can be weighed.
One person from each company brings up the Ziploc bag and weighs it on the
scale. Teacher records the mass of total waste on the board and each company
records their waste on the bottom of their worksheet.
The second task is to divide their waste into categories based on the
information on the waste category student sheet. First: sort the waste into the
3 categories (demonstrate).
Once they have sorted their waste into 3 categories they can fill in the first
column: List of Wastes in This Category.
In the second column students need to Estimated Percentage of Your
Overall Waste. Looking at the 3 piles of waste that was sorted, estimate the
percent of each category and record on worksheet.
To find the estimated amount of waste in grams multiply the total waste by the
percent of waste. Then complete the Waste Management Math Student Sheet.
(use the example to explain each step) Each company will need to complete the
total cost of waste disposal in order to determine how much their crayon will
increase in price due to the cost of their waste disposal. Each company records
the cost of waste disposal on their ledger.
Have a student representative from each company group come to the front of
the class and bring you their waste for disposal. Check their company ledger for
the cost of waste disposal.
Part 2
Hand out the Waste Management Math Ideas for Production Waste
Reduction sheet.
Ask students to think carefully about how they are currently producing their
crayons and think of ways to reduce their waste during their process.
Have students brainstorm a list of ways that they could reduce the waste they
create in their manufacturing process and record their ideas on the sheet. Alert
them to the fact that this is a Green Chemistry Seal sheet and to remember to
put it in their Company Portfolio binder when it is completed.
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Closure
Have each company share out some of the ways their company could reduce
their waste during crayon production.
Day 2
Explain to the students that their company shareholders want to see some data
about the waste management at their company.
Students will make a 3-D graph using the Waste Management Math - Making a
3-D Graph instruction to show their waste streams and how they can be
reduced. Display a 3D graph for students to look at.
Use the estimated percentage of your overall waste for the 3 categories found
on the Waste Management Math-Student Sheet to make the 3-D graph.
Assessment:
3-D Graph Rubric
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Waste Management Math Waste Category Student Sheet
Category
Waste Type
Hazardous
Red dye #2.275
Anything containing red dye
#2.275
Non-Hazardous,
Non-Recyclable
Play dough
Paraffin
Sand
Soy wax
All colors except red
Plastic cups
Disposable stir sticks
Soiled newspaper
Anything containing vybar
Anything containing stearic acid
Plastic gloves
Non-Hazardous, Recyclable
Unsoiled paper
Unsoiled paper towels
Unsoiled newspaper
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Waste Management Math Student Sheet
Types of
Waste/Fees
List of Wastes in
This Category
Example
Hazardous
Mass of total
waste: 608g
Red dye soy crayons
Estimated
Percentage of Your
Overall Waste
35%
Amount of
Waste in Grams
35% = .35
608g x .35 =
212.8g = 213g
Cost of disposal
Cost of Disposal
Add each row and put
the total on the bottom
of this page.
Cost of
disposal=$150 per
10 grams
Hazardous
Cost of
disposal=$150 per
10 grams
Non-Hazardous,
Non-Recyclable
Cost of
disposal=$20 per
10 grams
Non-Hazardous,
Recyclable
Cost of
disposal=$10 per
10 grams
Hazardous
213/10 = 21.3
21.3 x 150 = $3,195
Mass of total waste: _________________________________________
Total cost of waste disposal for your company: __________________________________
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Waste Management Math Ideas for Production Waste Reduction
Hazardous: _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Non-Hazardous, Non-Recyclable: _______________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Non-Hazardous, Recyclable: ____________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Waste Management Math Making a 3-D Graph
Follow the directions below to construct the 3-D graph.
1) Fold a piece of graph paper in half with the grid on the outside.
2) Using the folded edge of the paper as the base, create a bar
graph showing the information gathered from your survey.
Note: Leave a few spaces between each bar on the graph.
3) Cut up the left and right sides of each bar.
4) Fold the tabs back and forth several times until there is a
nice crease at the top of each bar.
5) Open the paper and refold along the same line so that the
grid is now on the inside.
6) Partially open the paper and push the tab to the inside
creating a “pop-up” effect.
7) Glue a piece of folded construction paper to the back to create a cover.
Optional: Glue figures on the front of teach tab to represent what the chart shows.
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Name ______________ 3-D Bar Graph
Assessment
4
3
2
1
4
Self Assessment
3
2
Teacher Assessment
4
• Bar Graph contains all
of the following: title,
labels, color, and scale
• All the data is
accurately graphed.
3
• Bar Graph contains
three of the following:
title, labels, color, and
scale
• All the data is
accurately graphed.
2
• Bar Graph contains two
of the following: title,
labels, color, and scale
• Some of the data is
inaccurately graphed.
1
• Bar Graph contains one
of the following: title,
labels, color, and scale
• Some of the data is
inaccurately graphed.
Total
Grades:
15-16 = A,
/16
13-14 = B,
12 = C,
11 = D,
1
/16
0-10 = F
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Alternative Waste Management Math
Activity: Using Actual Numbers:
Procedure:
Have students separate their waste into the 3 waste streams and
place each pile into baggies.
Have students find the mass of each waste stream. Record each
company’s data on Company Comparison Data Table.
Using Student Sheet, students should calculate the percentage of
their waste and the total cost for waste disposal.
Write total costs on Company Comparison Data Table.
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Alternative: Waste Management Math Student Sheet
Types of
Waste
List of
Wastes in
This
Category
Amount of
Waste in
Grams
Fraction
of Your
Overall
Waste
Percentage
of Your
Overall
Waste
Cost of
Disposal
Cost of
disposal=
$15.00 per
1 gram
Hazardous
Anything
contaminated
by red dye
Cost of
disposal=
$2.00 per
1 gram
NonHazardous,
NonRecyclable
Cost of
disposal=
$1.00 per
1 gram
NonHazardous,
Recyclable
Mass of total waste: _________________________________________
Total cost of waste disposal for your company:
________________
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Alternative: Waste Management Math
Company Comparison Data Table
Company
Name
Mass of
Mass of
Mass of
Hazardous
NonRecyclable
Waste
Hazardous,
nonrecyclable
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
Total
Mass
Total
Cost
Role Card – Sue Emall
Costume:
Business suit, brief case, PDA, cell phone, glasses
Props:
Large amounts of paper for a law suit
Script:
“Hello, I am Sue Emall, senior partner in the law firm of Emall, Rippemoff and
Cash. I am here to inform all companies that have used a Mr. Seymour Mess for
their toxic waste disposal that a class action lawsuit has been filed (slam down
papers) against you. The residents of the NIMBY neighborhood adjacent to the Ivor
Pullam dentist office in the next town have found toxic waste by the side of the
road with your company names written all over it.
You are hereby ordered to pay $200.00 to the residents of NIMBY which will be
used to cover the cost of clean-up and to alleviate the emotional stress caused by
this episode.
Mr. Mess’s business We assess the state of toxicity and eliminate it or WASTE for
short is currently under investigation by the EPA and better business bureau.
My representatives here will collect your payment forthwith.
Thank you,
Good morning.
Copyright © 2003-2008 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved.
