Recycling is important, but the US does not have the capacity to process all the recyclables we produce. What would it take to change habits, reject single-use packaging and products, and live a “zero waste” lifestyle? Kids can measure their baseline level of trash by carrying around all the waste they generate in a 24 hr day (A paper grocery bag works well for this purpose). At the end of the day, use a scale to weigh the trash individually or collectively. Then, after making changes towards living a “zero waste lifestyle,” kids can carry and weigh their trash again, for comparison. Check out TerraCycle to identify a hard-to-recycle items that your school could start collecting and begin a campaign!
