Understanding Plastic Consumption At Home

Plastic pollution is a pressing issue, and it's important to understand how much plastic waste our households produce. Lesson plans on this topic can help students and their families become more aware of their plastic consumption and disposal habits. For example, one activity involves estimating the amount of plastic waste produced by a household in a day, while another is a musical chairs game where students collect plastic waste and categorise it. These lessons can be a great way to engage students in meaningful discussions about plastic pollution and its impact on the environment.

How much plastic does your family throw away in one day?

Lesson 1: A Planet Full of Plastic

This lesson plan is designed to teach students about the amount of plastic waste their household produces and the impact of plastic consumption and disposal on the environment.

Step 1: Calculating Household Plastic Waste

To begin, students will calculate the amount of plastic waste their household produces in a day. This can be done by adding up each family member's individual plastic waste contributions or by multiplying the average number of plastic items used by the number of household members.

Step 2: Estimating Neighbourhood Plastic Waste

Next, students will estimate the total plastic waste generated by their neighbours in a day. This can be done by multiplying the estimated average plastic waste per household by the number of households in the neighbourhood.

Step 3: Reflecting on the Data

Students will then reflect on the data they have collected. Are they surprised by the amount of plastic waste produced? Why or why not? This discussion can lead to a broader conversation about the short-term and long-term effects of plastic consumption and disposal.

Step 4: Understanding Plastic Waste Destinations

Using graphs and charts, students will explore what happens to plastic waste after it is discarded. Where does most of the plastic trash collected in a given year end up? Why do they think this is the case?

Optional Activity: Musical Chairs Game

For a more interactive approach, students can participate in a "musical chairs" inspired game about plastic waste. Collect various clean plastic waste items, such as water bottles, plastic bags, food containers, and product packaging. Prepare notecards with the words "reduce", "reuse", "recycle", or "refuse" written on them. During the game, students will walk around the room when the music is playing and stop to pick up a plastic item and a notecard when the music stops. This activity encourages students to think about ways to minimise plastic waste and promote sustainable practices.

Extension: Marine Debris Lesson

For older students, explore the topic of marine debris and plastic pollution. Greenpeace offers lesson plans that include storytelling, arts and crafts, presentations, and small-group activities. Students can learn about the impact of plastic on marine life and engage in citizen-based monitoring and research projects, such as the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project.

How to play a 'musical chairs' game about plastic waste

The following is a musical chairs game about plastic waste, inspired by Lesson 1: A Planet Full of Plastic.

Step 1

Collect a variety of clean plastic waste from different categories, such as water bottles, plastic bags, food containers, and product packaging.

Step 2

Get 20 notecards or pieces of paper and divide them into four piles of five. On one side of the cards, write either "reduce", "reuse", "recycle", or "refuse", with each pile representing a different word.

Step 3

Distribute the notecards around the room, placing them near the plastic waste items with the blank side facing up.

Step 4

Use lights or music for each round of the game. When the lights are off or the music is on, walk around the room. When the lights come on or the music stops, stop in place and pick up 1-2 plastic items and the nearest notecard.

Step 5

Turn the notecard over and read the word. Discuss with the group how the plastic item you picked up could be reduced, reused, recycled, or refused.

This game helps to raise awareness about plastic waste and encourages participants to think about ways to reduce their plastic consumption and properly dispose of plastic items. It also highlights the impact of plastic waste on the environment and the importance of sustainable practices.

Per capita consumption and disposal of plastic waste

Per capita consumption refers to the average amount used by a single individual with respect to a larger population. In the context of plastic waste, per capita consumption and disposal of plastic waste have both short-term and long-term effects.

To calculate the amount of plastic waste your house collects, you can add up each member of your household's PWI (pieces of plastic waste). Alternatively, you can estimate it by multiplying your number of pieces of plastic by the number of people in your household.

You can then use this data to estimate the number of pieces of plastic that your neighbours discard in one day. This activity can help to raise awareness of the amount of plastic waste being produced and encourage people to reduce their plastic consumption.

The mass production of plastic is increasing rapidly, and it is important to consider the impact of this on the environment. Plastic waste can have negative effects on the environment, including the pollution of waterways and the harm of marine life. It is therefore important to consider ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic waste.

Marine debris monitoring and assessment

One activity could involve collecting clean plastic waste from different categories, such as water bottles, plastic bags, food containers, and product packaging. Students can then play a "musical chairs"-inspired game where they walk around a room with plastic waste items and notecards. When the music stops, they pick up 1-2 plastic items and the nearest notecard, which has one of the following words written on it: "reduce", "reuse", "recycle", or "refuse". This activity helps students understand the different ways they can take action to reduce plastic waste.

Another activity could focus on data collection and analysis. Students can calculate their household's plastic waste output by adding up each member's PWI (pieces of plastic waste per day). They can then estimate the total plastic waste produced by their neighbours or apartment building in a day. By comparing this data to graphs and charts, students can discuss the fate of plastic trash and its short-term and long-term effects.

These lesson plans can be supplemented with additional resources, such as the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, which provides step-by-step activities to engage students in citizen-based monitoring and research.

Plastic ingestion by Laysan Albatross

Lesson plans about plastic pollution can include activities such as asking students to calculate the amount of plastic waste their family throws away in a day, and a musical chairs-inspired game where students collect plastic waste and categorise it according to whether it can be reduced, reused, recycled or refused.

Frequently asked questions