What a Load of Rubbish!

Room 11 have been very busy lately inquiring into the many ways we can protect our local environment by reducing the negative impact that packaging has upon it.

In week 1 of this term we conducted a waste audit of the year 3/4 classes to determine how much packaging waste they produced. After dividing the waste into different waste streams we discussed different ways that recyclable material in the landfill stream could be diverted away from a landfill. This led to a discussion about how the year 3/4 students could reduce the amount of chip and muesli bar wrappers.

We also examined where our packaging comes from and the environmental impact that is tied to buying certain products. We created flow charts that highlighted the various stages that a particular product will go through from production to destruction.

During literacy we talked about how we our responsible in part for the final destination of the waste we create. We wrote explanations that explained 'Where does our waste go?' Some of the explanations were written from a piece of waste's P.O.V detailing the journey they go on once they become waste.

Journey of a Coke bottle 

   

“Ouch” I say as I get thrown in the bin. It’s dark, creepy and quiet, I look around, I see other Coke bottles and glass bottles, they look sad and hurt. I close my eyes and fall asleep.

I open my eyes, there’s more rubbish around me, it feels like the bin is moving, it stops moving. I see a person coming from the light just like the person who drank me. I see another garbage bin and more rubbish getting tipped out, i’m in the garbage truck.

It’s a long ride in the garbage truck but finally we made it to the recycling center. I look to one side, I see a burning furnace with glass bottles inside, screaming like Vampires in the sunlight, good thing I’m a coke bottle. All of the plastic cans and bottles are put in a wheelbarrow, then head off to a machine that looks like a bunch of slides put together.

There is a magnet that separates the metal from the plastic, then all of the plastic goes down a waterfall. Then onto another slide, then I get squashed into a flat can!!! I’ve been piled up into one massive square with other flat cans.

We get loaded on a truck , it is a long drive, it seems like 2 hours have past. We arrive

at a noisy place, there are lots of people, also there are planes and jets, wow so this is what the airport looks like. All the giant squares has been load onto a plane that had no passengers. No one  would want to ride on a plane fill with smelly rubbish. Another journey was heading our way.

We arrive in a new city with new smells and new looks, this place is called China! Our next journey is a short one, The truck has taken us to an odd looking factory.  OOHH another slide! Then some machines came out of nowhere and start tickling and pushing me around, it feels like a massage.

After my massage I went past a piece of metal…I can’t believe thats me… I’M A PEPSI BOTTLE! I look as good as new, hopefully I can take that adventure again sometime.

By Prawa :}