Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
The United States is home to just 4.25% of the world's population; however, it generates 12% of the world's municipal solid waste. The average American creates a staggering 4.9 pounds of garbage daily. Almost everything we do creates waste, and as a society we are currently producing more waste than ever before.
Both consumption and waste have major environmental impacts. Producing goods and transporting them to consumers uses large quantities of fossil fuels and produces pollution, particularly carbon dioxide (the major greenhouse gas leading to climate change). When these products become waste, they are transported again—usually to landfills, where they produce methane (another potent greenhouse gas) as they break down—or to incinerators, which generate more pollution as they burn.
A school can reduce its environmental impact by analyzing the full life cycle of the products it uses. Decreasing consumption, reducing packaging, and promoting alternatives to single-use plastics, as well as finding new uses for old materials, all translate into smaller amounts of waste being hauled away.
There are many opportunities for waste reduction, reuse, and recycling within schools. As you certify in this area, students will assess how much and what types of garbage and recycling your school is currently generating and come up with an action plan for how you can reduce waste and recycle better using the included activities and resources.
This guide includes:
Core certification links
Curriculum/existing learning resources
Partner organizations
Field trips
Funding opportunities
Learning standards