Education Today for
a Greener Tomorrow
Environmental Education Lessons 2016-2017
Garbology
Recycling
Waste Reduction
Lessening Toxins
Carbon Footprint
Garbology
Overview
• Understand what is being thrown in the garbage.
• Discover where garbage goes in Otter Tail County.
• Identify methods that could reduce waste.
Reflections
What does our garbage say about us?
What kind of garbage do you throw away in a week?
What happens to garbage after you throw it away?
How could garbage be reduced?
Lessons
Talkin’ Trash
Garbage Pizza
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Tackling Trash
Resources
Where should my garbage go?
Interactive game (10:00)
Very interactive for a smart board presentation for all grades
Introduction: Garbage in
Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County operates six transfer stations where garbage is
hauled to and then transferred to a waste –to-energy facility or
landfill out of state. Otter Tail County garbage is hauled to the
Perham Resource Recovery Facility in Perham.
In 2015, Otter Tail County produced about 30,050 tons of garbage.
Of that, 16, 920 tons were incinerated to make energy at the Perham
Resource Recovery Facility. A total of 13,130tons were landfilled out
of state.
The Perham waste-to-energy facility generates steam for electricity
and reduces the amount of trash by incinerating waste. The steam
produced from incinerating the garbage is used for electricity at
Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Bongard’s Creameries, and Otter Tail Power.
Garbology Lessons
One Day’s Garbage: Place 4.5 pounds of garbage in a clear
bag. Sort the materials by compost, recyclable, or trash. Next,
decide which items could be reused instead of putting them
in the garbage. Finally, sort the items that could be reduced
before even buying them.
Trash math: How much trash does your community
produce?
Home journal of garbage in a week
Watch the video: Perham Resource Recovery Facility
Garbage Pizza: Proportions based on MPCA 2013 Statewide
Characterization Study
Great Pacific Garbage Patch: (high school and middle
school)
Show a video: Garbage Patch 4:10
GPGP Discussion 1:20
Tackling Trash:
Conduct a waste audit of a classroom, school or business.
Tour a facility.
Start a green team.
Recycling
Overview
• Understand why recycling is important to protecting natural
resources.
• Identify what can be recycled in Otter Tail County.
• Discover what items are recycled into.
Background Information
What are the rules of recycling in Otter Tail County?
What natural resources go into making our products?
What are the end market products of recycled goods?
Lessons
Doing the Recycling Sort
End Market Match Game
Worms: Nature’s Recyclers
Resources
Aluminum Recycling Video 2:51
Plastic recycled into furniture 2:33
Introduction: Recycling
in Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County has a redemption center where recycling
may be dropped off and aluminum cans redeemed for cash.
The building also houses a materials recovery facility (MRF)
where recyclables are sorted and shipped to end market.
Otter Tail County maintains 35 recycling canister sites
throughout the county. Perham and Fergus Falls have
curbside recycling programs. In 2015, 4,680 tons of materials
were recycled in Otter Tail County.
What can be recycled in Otter Tail County?
The following materials may be recycled in Otter Tail
County. They need to be sorted into the proper recycling bin.
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Aluminum and tin cans
Plastic bottle and jugs with a #1 or #1 and a neck
All clear and colored glass bottles and jars
Corrugated cardboard and paper bags
Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, paperboard and most
paper
Introduction: Recycling
Where do our recyclables go after they are recycled?
Glass: Glass Advantage in Fargo, ND. Glass is made
into sand blasting sand and garden glass.
Cardboard: Republic Services in Becker, MN.
Corrugated cardboard is turned into new boxes.
Aluminum: Alter Trading in Fort Thomas, KY.
Aluminum cans are recycled into new cans in about
60-90 days.
Metal: AMG Resources in St. Paul. They clean out
the cans and shred them to be sold to make new
cans and other metal products.
Plastic: Republic Services in Minneapolis. Recycled
into new bottles, carpet, decking/plastic furniture.
Newspaper/Office Paper: Paul’s Insulation in
Vergas, MN. Paper is recycled into blow-in
insulation.
Paperboard: Pioneer Industries in Minneapolis.
Paperboard is recycled into more paperboard.
Recycling Lessons
Doing the Recycle Sort: Sort recyclables into the correct
bin. Discuss reuse ideas of items that cannot be recycled.
End Market Match Game: Match the item that can be
recycled with the end product that it can be recycled into.
Worms: Nature’s Recyclers: The worms are housed in a
portable bin which is used for demonstrations. Participants
can see the worms close up and learn about how these worms
are unique and very good at recycling.
Learn about Red Wiggler Worms and how they compost food
into all natural fertilizer.
Visit the worm biology stations to learn about Red Wiggler
Worms.
Learn about soil science and the FBI of decomposition and
how this helps the earth.
Make edible worm bins in your classroom. We provide the
supplies.
Worm-sit the Red Wigglers in your classroom for a period of
time.
Waste Reduction
Overview
• Understand why reducing waste is important to the
environment.
• Identify methods that could reduce waste.
Reflections
What is waste?
What is being wasted in one week?
How could waste be reduced?
Lessons
Food Waste
Packaging
Plastic Bags
Resources
Dumptown Game- see how the city changes as waste is reduced.
Interactive game.
Introduction: Waste
Reduction
In Otter Tail County we are concerned with reducing waste.
We must learn methods to reduce in order to create less
waste.
Food waste is a major component of the waste stream in the
United States. The USDA estimates that between 30-40
percent of the food supply is wasted. It has been estimated
that between $500 to $2000 worth of food is wasted each year
by an average family of four. We need to follow methods that
reduce food waste.
Most packaging waste cannot be recycled in Otter Tail
County. Consumers need to look for alternative packing that
will result in less waste. Single serve packages may be
convenient but they generate more waste.
One of the easiest ways to reduce is to always take your own
bag when you go shopping. Plastic bags are not recycled in
Otter Tail County.
Waste Reduction Lessons
Food Waste: Learn how to pack a waste free lunch. Discuss
other ways to reduce food waste at school and home.
Packaging: See how much packaging is really used for
products. Learn ways to reduce packaging and save materials
from being thrown in the garbage.
Ban the Bag: Learn how to use alternatives to plastic
shopping bags. Make a no sew T-shirt bag that needs only a
T-shirt, marker and scissors to complete.
Lessening Toxins
Overview
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Understand what is hazardous waste.
Identify signal words.
Learn about alternatives.
Discover ways to reduce toxins.
Background Information
What is hazardous waste?
What hazardous items are in my home?
What happens if toxin are spilled into the environment?
What are some alternatives to toxins?
Lessons
Look A-Likes
Alternatives
Resources
MPCA learning trunk for HHW
Introduction:
Lessening Toxins
Otter Tail County operates a household hazardous waste
facility in which people are encourage to drop off their
unused and unwanted products so they may be disposed of
properly.
“EPA considers some leftover household products that can
catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or
that are corrosive or toxic as household hazardous waste.
Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and
pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and require
special care when you dispose of them.”
In order to identify a hazardous material look for “signal
words” such as caution, warning, danger and poison.
Characteristic words indicate the type of hazard posed by the
product such as flammable/combustible, corrosive, toxic, or
reactive.
If we are not careful to keep these out of the trash or drain
they may find their way into lakes, streams and rivers. Even
small amounts of toxins, like mercury, can contaminate fish.
Fish consumption is limited from some lakes because of high
levels of mercury in the fish.
Lessening Toxins Lessons
Look A-Likes: An assortment of unlabeled jars are shown
and participants are to asked which one is hazardous and
which you could drink. The goal is to show how easy it would
be for toxins to enter the environment. Also the safety of
proper storage and labeling is discussed.
Alternatives: Products that are considered safe to the
environment are shown. Recipes for non-toxic cleaning
supplies are discussed as well as how to avoid all potential
toxins in the home and at school. Mixing products that are
bases and acids is dangerous and this will be pointed out to
students with household cleaners as examples.
Ecological Footprints
Overview
• Understand the meaning of an ecological footprint
• Discover means to reduce one’s footprint
Reflections
What is an ecological footprint?
Why is it important to understand our imprint on the earth?
Lessons
Calculate Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprints
Resources
K-6 calculator
7-12 calculator
Worksheet calculator
Interactive footprint calculator