task 3a: goods analysis – waste audit · task 3a: goods analysis – waste audit according to the...

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Name__________________________ Period_______

Task 3a: Goods Analysis – Waste Audit

According to the Annenberg Foundation, the average American generates four pounds of

solid trash per day, for a grand total of 1,460 pounds per year. Americans are the number

one global trash offenders! Every day, we collectively dispose of approximately 200 million

tons of the stuff. Less than one-quarter of it is recycled, leaving the rest for landfills and

incinerators. Part of analyzing the Goods component of your ecological footprint is getting a

better idea of how much trash you generate.

In this task, you will be recording and collecting the amount of waste that you and your

family generates over a 24 hour period. Materials recorded should include all waste

including any items that may be recycled, composted, or reused in some way. Examples of

items to be recorded include mailed letters, junk mail, food wrappers, beverage containers,

other product packaging (e.g., shampoo bottles, deodorant containers, toothpaste tubes),

newspapers, aluminum foil, plastic and paper grocery bags, pizza boxes, toilet paper, the

roll from toilet paper…you get the idea. You will keep a running inventory of your solid

wastes throughout the day, with a final tally of the number of items recorded by the

beginning of the next class.

You will be required to also get the mass of all the waste that you record over the 24 hour

period. In order to do this, you must either bring in the waste in a bag for getting the mass

Some suggestions for gathering data…

- When you get home, take out the garbage in your home so that each garbage can and

recycling bin has nothing in them, so you can record the data for the entirety of the

period.

- When you are out of the house, have a bag to carry any excess waste that you might

have over the day.

- Have your data sheet on you so that you can record any waste over the day.

Part 1: Gathering Data

Use the chart on the next page or bring in waste for 24 hours to record the amount of waste

that you and your family produce.

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Type of waste Description Approximate size (if

applicable)

Mass (if applicable)

Paper/Cardboard

Plastic

Metal

Glass

Compost

Reused items

(reused bottles, bags,

etc.)

Landfilled garbage

(not composted or

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recycled)

Part 2: Calculating the Waste Generated

Use the scale provided in the class to get the mass of the waste you generated.

If you did not bring in your waste, use the chart and provided materials to weigh out the

materials, TAKING CARE TO MULTIPLY OUT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU PUT IN (If

you had 3 aluminum cans in your waste, weigh out one and multiply by 3!).

Calculate out both the mass and % of total garbage mass, MAKING SURE THAT YOU

SHOW YOUR CALCULATION!

Material Mass

(lb)

% of Total Garbage Mass Calculation % of Total

Garbage Mass

Recycling

Total Mass of Paper

and Cardboard

Total Mass of

Plastic

Total Mass of Metal

Total Mass of Glass

Total Mass of All

Recycling

Total Mass of

Compost

Total Mass of

Reused Items

Total Mass of

Landfilled Garbage

Total Mass of All

Waste

Not applicable 100

Part 3: Calculations and Questions

Show your work and all units to receive full credit.

1. Total mass of solid waste generated in a month (ASSUMING 1 MONTH= 30 DAYS) =

2. Total mass of solid waste generated in 1 year (ASSUMING 1 YEAR=365 DAYS) =

3. Total mass of recyclable materials items generated in a month =

4. Total mass of recyclable materials generated in 1 year =

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5. Total mass of compostable materials generated in a month =

6. Total mass of compostable materials generated in 1 year =

7. Ratio of trash items to recyclable items for a month =

8. Ratio of trash items to recyclable items for 1 year =

9. Ratio of trash items to compostable items for a month =

10. Ratio of trash items to compostable items for 1 year =

11. Based on your observations of the solid waste material collected by everyone in the

class, what type or category of municipal solid waste seems to be the most

abundant?

12. Do you feel this two-day waste audit gave an accurate representation of the trash

you generate in a year? Explain.

13. If your family completed this same solid waste project, how do you think their

inventories would differ, in terms of the type and amounts of materials used in a

week or a year?

14. Did you alter your choices about foods eaten and/or items purchased/used during

this activity, due to the type or amount of packaging? Describe how your choices

were modified during this assignment.

15. From what you observed in this activity, write a 1 paragraph (at least 7-8 sentences)

proposal to your family about a recommendation to lower the waste that you

produce.

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Task 3b: Goods Analysis – Electricity Audit

We will continue to break down our eco footprint into the different components that make

it up. The past couple of days focused on waste; today we will be focusing on electricity. In

this audit, you will be looking at any appliances and electrical devices that are plugged into

a socket at your home (lamp, tv, phone charger, stereo, etc.) and seeing how much power

that it pulls from that socket. In order to do this, you need to do a careful inventory of what

is plugged in at your house. We will get initial practice with this for homework today.

For homework, fill in this chart below with 3 electrical devices that are plugged in at

your home. Try to do smaller ones that you can look at the back of. Try to find the power

ratings of the appliances. Here is a sample of the label that you can find on most appliances:

Part 1: Initial power ratings

We will try 3 sample appliances tonight, and focus on more later. Make sure to fill out all

you can; we will work on the calculations in class tomorrow.

Appliance Power rating Approximate number of hours on per day (if on

for half hour, write in 0.5 hour, not 30)

Number of appliances in house

Look for the wattage

on the label. This is

the power that the

appliance uses if

turned on for an hour.

In this case, if on for

an hour, this uses 2.15

kilowatts, or 2,150

watts.

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From the lecture/notes, calculate kilowatt-hours for the appliances you found for

homework. Make sure to show your work!

Appliance Calculations for kilowatt hours Kilowatt hours for

ONE APPLIANCE

TOTAL # of

appliances in

house

TOTAL kW h for

ALL of the

specific

appliance in

house

Part 2: Total Electrical Power Audit

Once I have checked off the calculations, fill in the first 3 rows with your initial findings.

You will continue this work tonight by recording ALL THINGS that are plugged in at your

house. THIS ALSO INCLUDES LIGHT FIXTURES!

If you cannot find the power ratings of everything, do not worry. There will be time to

research power ratings for difficult appliances in class. If you need more room, add

another sheet to the chart.

Appliance Power Rating Approximate

number of

hours on per

day

# of appliance

in house

Kilowatt hour calculations Total kilowatt hours

for specific appliance

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number of

hours on per

day

# of appliance

in house



8



1. Total amount of kilowatt hours used in 1 day.

2. Total amount of of kilowatt hours generated in a month (ASSUMING 1 MONTH= 30

DAYS) =

3. Total amount of kilowatt hours generated in 1 year (ASSUMING 1 YEAR=365

DAYS) =

4. What 3 appliances used the most power in your electrical audit?

5. Do you think that there is any way to minimize this power usage for these 3

appliances? Why or why not?

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Task 3c: Mobility Analysis

How does your family get around? Do you walk, bike, take the bus, drive your own car, or

carpool with others? In this task you’ll analyze your family’s transportation habits and

create an alternative transportation plan for your family.

In this audit, you will record the amount of driving that your family does over a 2 day (48

hour) period. A major part of your eco footprint is the way that you and your family choose

to use transportation methods. We will be looking at how much gas is used in your family

on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.

Part 1: Gathering Information at Home

Answer the following questions to help guide your data collection. If you need help, ask

your parent/guardian for this information.

1. How many cars are in your household?

2. What is the make/model and year (ie 2003 Honda CR-V) of the car(s)?

3. How many miles are on the odometer (total amount of miles driven in the car’s

lifetime) for the car(s)?

4. How many flights did your household take this year (if any)?

5. Where were those flights to (if applicable)?

Begin filling in the chart on the next page; you should be able to fill in the first rows

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It is essential that you gather all this information for your household; we will be using

this throughout the next 2 days!

Questions Car 1 (if applicable) Car 2 (if applicable) Car 3 (if applicable)

Vehicle Manufacturer

(Honda, Ford, etc.)

Vehicle Model (Accord,

Focus, etc.)

Year Model

Initial Odometer

reading

Odometer reading after

24 hours

Total mileage after 24

hours


48 hours


hours

Average Miles Per

Gallon (MPG)- Use

internet sources to find

this information

Gallons of gas used after

48 hours

Gallons gas used in 1

month (assuming 1

month=30 days)


year

Part 2: Flights

You should have already gathered information on flights for the year from your

household. Use this information to fill in the audit information for other transportation

that you and/or your family has taken this year.

In class, use computers and google maps to find the distances for the flights that your

household takes. Fill in the chart below with the distances (keeping in mind ROUND

TRIPS).

Some information to help you:

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- A standard Boeing 747 gets 1 mile per 5 gallons of fuel

- A standard Boeing 747 can carry about 500 people (to calculate the miles per

gallon per person)

Questions Response

TOTAL distance

travelled via plane for

your household

(MAKE SURE TO

REMEMBER

ROUND TRIPS!)

Gallons gas used

total

Gallons gas used per

person (assuming a

full plane each time)

TOTAL GAS USED

BY HOUSEHOLD

(CAR+PLANE)



1. Total amount of gasoline used in 1 day.

2. Total amount of gasoline in a month (ASSUMING 1 MONTH= 30 DAYS) =

3. Total amount of gasoline used in 1 year (ASSUMING 1 YEAR=365 DAYS) =

4. Where do you think the most driving is done during the day in your household?

Why do you think this?

5. What are ways to minimize the gasoline usage of your household, judging from

where most of the driving is done?

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Task 3d: Water Audit

By now you’ve become very familiar with auditing different aspects of your ecological footprint.

Today, we will be looking at the final aspect of your footprint; water usage. We often forget about the

amount of water that we use in a day, though it is one of our most precious resources. You will track

the amount of water used by your household over a 24 hour period. To do this, first brainstorm all

the places that you use water in your house. Write them below:

Water usage in your home brainstorm:

As you discuss the different places for water use, make sure to write in any that you did not think

about! You will be tracking this once you get home.

In the chart below, fill in the first part of each section (# of daily flushes, average length of shower,

showers per day, etc.). Your teacher will give you the average numbers for each section, so you

can calculate the total gallons used per day.

Make sure to be as accurate as possible with your estimates!

Questions Data Total gallons used (fill in for each section

for the “total gallons per day” question to

add up everything later!)

Toilet

# of daily flushes

Avg. Gallons per flush

Total gallons per day (toilet)

Shower

Average length of shower

# of showers per day

Avg. Gallons per minute (shower)

Total gallons per day (shower)

Baths

# of baths per day

Average gallons per bath

Total gallons per day (bath)

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Faucets

# of MINUTES faucet is on

(including brushing teeth,

washing hands, food prep,

cleaning, etc.)

Average gallons per minute

Total gallons per day (faucets)

Dishwasher

# of loads per day

Average gallons per load

Total gallons per day

(dishwasher)

Washing clothes/ Washer

# of loads per day (if once every

5 days, put in 0.20 loads per day,

once every 2 days, 0.50 loads

per day, etc.)


Total gallons per day (washer)

Washing car/watering lawn (anything using a garden hose)

# of minutes water runs


Total gallons per day (garden

hose)

Total number of gallons used in a day=



1. Total amount of water in a month (ASSUMING 1 MONTH= 30 DAYS) =

2. Total amount of water used in 1 year (ASSUMING 1 YEAR=365 DAYS) =

3. Looking at your chart, where are the top 3 places where water is used the most?

Why do you think that these are the highest water usage areas?

4. What are ways to minimize the water usage of your household for those 3 areas

where water is used the most?

1

Name__________________________ Period_______






















period.


have over the day.





2


applicable)


Paper/Cardboard

Plastic

Metal

Glass

Compost

Reused items


etc.)

Landfilled garbage

(not composted or

3

recycled)








Material Mass

(lb)


Garbage Mass

Recycling

Total Mass of Paper

and Cardboard

Total Mass of

Plastic

Total Mass of Metal

Total Mass of Glass

Total Mass of All

Recycling

Total Mass of

Compost

Total Mass of

Reused Items

Total Mass of

Landfilled Garbage

Total Mass of All

Waste

Not applicable 100







4









abundant?





week or a year?






produce.

5



















the power that the

appliance uses if




kilowatts, or 2,150

watts.

6




ONE APPLIANCE

TOTAL # of

appliances in

house

TOTAL kW h for

ALL of the

specific

appliance in

house









number of

hours on per

day

# of appliance

in house



7


number of

hours on per

day

# of appliance

in house



8





DAYS) =


DAYS) =




9



















10





(Honda, Ford, etc.)


Focus, etc.)

Year Model

Initial Odometer

reading


24 hours


hours


48 hours


hours

Average Miles Per

Gallon (MPG)- Use


this information


48 hours


month (assuming 1

month=30 days)


year

Part 2: Flights






TRIPS).


11



gallon per person)

Questions Response

TOTAL distance


your household

(MAKE SURE TO

REMEMBER

ROUND TRIPS!)

Gallons gas used

total


person (assuming a


TOTAL GAS USED

BY HOUSEHOLD

(CAR+PLANE)










12

















Toilet

# of daily flushes



Shower





Baths

# of baths per day



13

Faucets




cleaning, etc.)



Dishwasher

# of loads per day



(dishwasher)





per day, etc.)







hose)










1

Name__________________________ Period_______






















period.


have over the day.





2


applicable)


Paper/Cardboard

Plastic

Metal

Glass

Compost

Reused items


etc.)

Landfilled garbage

(not composted or

3

recycled)








Material Mass

(lb)


Garbage Mass

Recycling

Total Mass of Paper

and Cardboard

Total Mass of

Plastic

Total Mass of Metal

Total Mass of Glass

Total Mass of All

Recycling

Total Mass of

Compost

Total Mass of

Reused Items

Total Mass of

Landfilled Garbage

Total Mass of All

Waste

Not applicable 100







4









abundant?





week or a year?






produce.

5



















the power that the

appliance uses if




kilowatts, or 2,150

watts.

6




ONE APPLIANCE

TOTAL # of

appliances in

house

TOTAL kW h for

ALL of the

specific

appliance in

house









number of

hours on per

day

# of appliance

in house



7


number of

hours on per

day

# of appliance

in house



8





DAYS) =


DAYS) =




9



















10





(Honda, Ford, etc.)


Focus, etc.)

Year Model

Initial Odometer

reading


24 hours


hours


48 hours


hours

Average Miles Per

Gallon (MPG)- Use


this information


48 hours


month (assuming 1

month=30 days)


year

Part 2: Flights






TRIPS).


11



gallon per person)

Questions Response

TOTAL distance


your household

(MAKE SURE TO

REMEMBER

ROUND TRIPS!)

Gallons gas used

total


person (assuming a


TOTAL GAS USED

BY HOUSEHOLD

(CAR+PLANE)










12

















Toilet

# of daily flushes



Shower





Baths

# of baths per day



13

Faucets




cleaning, etc.)



Dishwasher

# of loads per day



(dishwasher)





per day, etc.)







hose)










task 3a: goods analysis – waste audit · task 3a: goods analysis – waste audit according to the...

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