Make a miniature sanitary landfill and an open dump.
- Two large containers, such as glass jars or milk cartons.
- Several pieces of fruit or vegetable such as a slice of tomato or an apple core.
- Two small pieces of plastic such as a plastic fork or part of a broken toy.
- Several small pieces of newspaper.
- Soil.
The first container will be your sanitary landfill. Place some soil in the bottom of the first container. On top
of the soil place half of the pieces of fruit, and one of the plastic forks (you can add other items as well, such
as a small scrap of aluminum foil or small piece of styrofoam). Take one of the small pieces of newspaper and
crumple it into a tight ball. Take another and rip it into many small pieces. Add all of this on top of the soil.
Add more soil on top of these items covering them completely.
The second container will be your open dump. Nearly fill the second container with soil. Dig a hole down into the soil and then place into the hole fruit, a plastic fork, a crumpled and torn newspaper along with any other things that you would like to add. Do not cover these items up, just leave them laying in the open hole.
Put the containers in a warm place and keep the soil damp. After one week, and again after another week, check to see what has happened to the fruit, the paper and the plastic. Are there odor differences between the two containers? What would happen if there was a strong wind that blew across your second container, the open dump? Does the fruit look different than when you buried it? How about the plastic? What about the paper? Does the crumpled ball of paper look any different than the torn paper?
Some things come apart, or decompose, in the environment. Other things persist, or last for a very long time. Which do you think is more harmful to the environment?
Other Activities
- Recycle some solid waste in your home. Use an empty egg carton to store small items. Clean and decorate a can or jar for use as a vase or pencil holder. Use the blank side of printed paper for scrap paper. Think of other "throwaways" in your home that can be used again.
- Organize your friends or classmates into a recycling club. Gather such things as newspapers, aluminum cans, or glass bottles for sale to companies that will recycle them. Or gather large discarded cardboard boxes for sale to people who are packing up to move.
- Draw a map of your community showing sanitary landfills for garbage, hazardous waste dumps, and factories that generate hazardous waste.
