…

Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

Who's going
to put the food
in the recycling

No way! Yuck!
I don't want That box really
maggots crawling on smells. I'm sure I saw
my hands. a rat out there
Why do we bother yesterday!
to recycle food?
Is it worth it?
We need help!

Page 1 – Garbage guru

© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
 Recycling Office and now food!

There's a public
● To reduce meeting about food recycling.
It's tomorrow! People
● To reuse or
have already sent in
questions.
and effectively.
Personal Capability objective: Communication

Research and plan an answer to one question:

● Use science to explain your answer
● Use posters, models, drama – or anything else
– to help people understand.
Page 2
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
 Public meeting questions
Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

How can we Why don't you

make less food just bury food
waste? waste in the Why can't we
ground? wrap food waste
Why is recycling
in plastic bags for
food waste a
recycling?
good idea?

Is making compost at
How can we make home better than We used to
compost from food using the council's burn all the
waste at home? food waste recycling rubbish.
scheme? Why? Why don't
we carry on
doing that?

Page 3
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
 Ideas for reducing anaerobic
food waste Food recycling Method 1 – digestion
Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

At home: Green Valley Council

● Plan a menu for the week sends food waste to
and buy only what you
need.
a plant like this.
● Make sure food portions How it works:
are not too big.
● Bacteria feed on Advantages:
● Use leftovers for another
food waste and
meal. ● All types of food waste can be
break it down.
● Grow your own salads. recycled.
and vegetables, then ● The bacteria do not ● Using the methane as fuel
pick what you need. need oxygen. means we need less coal and
● The bacteria make oil. The methane is a biofuel.
methane gas from It is a renewable energy source.
the food waste.
Disadvantages:
● We use the methane ● You must keep food waste
as fuel. separate from other rubbish.
In shops and restaurants: ● Solid and liquid ● You cannot put food waste in
● Give unsold food to a local materials are left. plastic bags.
charity – don't throw it away. Farmers and ● Extra lorries take food waste
● Don't stock too much short gardeners use them
to the anaerobic digestion site.
shelf-life food. to improve the soil.
Page 4
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
 Food making a Other ways of getting
recycling Method 2 – compost heap rid of food waste
Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

How it works: (not used by Green Valley Council)

● Put vegetable food waste and Landfill
garden waste into a heap or compost ● Rubbish is buried in the ground.
bin. Mix it with soil.
● It is getting harder to find places
● Bacteria and other micro-organisms for landfill sites.
feed on the waste and break it ● When food waste is buried it
down. breaks down and gives off
● The micro-organisms need oxygen methane.
from the air to help break down the ● Methane is a more powerful
waste. greenhouse gas than CO2.
● The heap gives off carbon dioxide
gas (CO2) as the waste breaks down.
● After a few months the compost will
be ready. Use it to improve the soil.

Advantages:
● You can recycle the food waste at Disadvantages: Incineration
home. No energy is used to transport it. ● You can only put ● Incineration means burning
● CO2 is a greenhouse gas. But a uncooked food waste rubbish.
compost heap gives off no more CO2 from plants onto your ● Some incineration plants
than when plant material breaks compost heap. generate electricity.
down naturally. ● You need somewhere ● Burning rubbish makes CO2 and
● The compost is free. It is a great soil to make the compost other harmful gases.
improver. heap.
Page 5
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
 Smart Grid
Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

We showed our ideas by … Next time we will...

Thumbs Up

W e were great
at the task
because ...

We presented information
clearly by using...
Thumbs
Sideways

W e were good
at the task

In our presentation, we explained

some of the science ideas linked
to reducing, reusing and recycling
Thumbs food waste, for example…
Down
W e were okay
at the task
because ...
Page 6
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
 Dilemmas
Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

But we all want

We want to go places and do With your partner, and then with
to make less things and that often How can we the rest of your team:
waste and makes more waste balance this
and pollution! I Discuss what makes each situation a dilemma.
pollution. up?
I Come up with as many ideas as you can to make
the dilemma less difficult – or even solve the
problem completely.
That's the
dilemma
for us all!
waste and shred it to make

size compost bin." the garden waste.

"We can use recycled
glass to make new
products. But melting
glass uses a lot of
to take them there. energy."
That uses petrol."
Hania
Helen – teacher factory manager
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation
Shamim – Pensioner
"People want
recycling centres
close to where
they live but don't
keep giving out plastic bags."
This breaks the shredder.
We may have to abandon
the scheme."
Mark – Refuse collection
Nancy – Shopkeeper
Page 7
 Making a difference
Personal Capability objective: Communication – to show ideas and information in different ways

You have found out lots about

'food waste'
and thought about some of the important environmental
considerations to do with reducing and recycling waste.

There are many ways that you can make a difference.

Here are some ideas and websites.
What will you and your class or school do together to help preserve our 'climate future'?

I Get people to reuse and recycle 'out of fashion' clothes – www.cat.org.uk/information

(look in Low Impact Living) and www.recyclenow.com
I Separate different types of waste for recycling at school – www.recycle-more.co.uk and
www.cat.org.uk/information
I Think about the best places for recycling bins in your community – www.recyclenow.com
I Get builders to use reclaimed materials for building work at school and in your community –
www.recycle-more.co.uk and www.cat.org.uk/information (look in Eco Building and
Renovation)
I Use less paper at school – www.recycle-more.co.uk and www.cat.org.uk/information

Page 8
© 2008 Centre for Science Education and the Comino Foundation