The project for EWRW at Chiswick House School starts with understanding our waste. The students will document and investigate the trash they create at school daily for 1 week, taking note of what the organic, recycling bin and black garbage bin comprises of at the end of the day. As a class they will create pictographs and bar graphs to keep track of progress.
The next step would be to investigate where the big contender garbage ends up and brainstorming actions to reduce their use in class and identifying ways to divert waste from landfill to more sustainable waste management practices or reducing the need to create that waste entirely.
The students will also investigate which garbage should go in which bin, and ask questions and authorities when the children are unsure. As an example, writing letters to waste management services about where their dirty tissues should go.
As part of the project children will also compete in a recycled obstacle relay race. The class with the correct items in the bins will receive extra opportunity for gardening time.
In parallel, the school will issue a survey to parents investigate their mindset about waste at home. This will enable the students to make data informed decisions and take a step to educate their own parents where needed.
The idea is to start a journey to “zero waste” one step item at a time.