From Trash to Eternity...

How long does trash last?

Have you ever considered just how long the rubbish that you throw away lasts in landfill? What lasts the longest? What degrades easily?

Collect the following objects to consider. If this is impractical, you can just work from the list if you prefer, but the actual objects make the activity more real and engaging.

ITEMS NEEDED:

• aluminum can (soft drink can)
• wool sock
• cigarette butt
• cotton rag
• plastic jug
• leather boot
• paper bag
• plastic 6-pack rings
• glass bottle
• rubber sole of the leather boot (above)
• Styrofoam cup
• tin can (eg soup or vegetable can)
• banana
 

It's now time to have a look at the objects and make some predictions of your own.

List the items in the order which you think will degrade first, to last. Don't look at the answers below!



Once you have finished your list, check out the predictions of this order, made by scientists.

• cotton rag
• wool sock
• cigarette butt
• leather boot
• rubber sole of the boot
• tin can
• aluminum can
• plastic 6-pack rings
• plastic jug
• Styrofoam cup
• glass bottle
• banana
• paper bag

Were your predictions right?

What could affect the rates of degradation?
Next, try to predict how long you think each item will take to degrade. Don't peek below!

This is what scientists predict:

 

• banana - 3 to 4 weeks
• paper bag - 1 month
• cotton rag - 5 months
• wool sock - 1 year
• cigarette butt - 2 to 5 years
• leather boot - 40 to 50 years
• rubber sole - 50 to 80 years
• tin can - 80 to 100 years
• aluminum can - 200 to 500 years
• plastic 6-pack rings _ 450 years
• plastic jug _ 1 million years
• Styrofoam cup _ unknown? forever?
• glass bottle _ unknown? forever? 

How close were your predictions?
Were you surprised by any of the scientists predictions?

Many of the above items can be recycled, rather than left to lay around in landfill for eternity.

Does this activity help you to understand the importance of recycling?

What are you going to do?

Make an Action Plan!