Wastebuster Plastic Education Pack

Teachers Activities and ResourcesPrimary Schools - Key Stage 2

Busta!

www.wastebuster.co.uk © 2016 Wastebuster CIC. Wastebuster is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. This pack has been produced by Wastebuster

in partnership with RECOUP and Nestlé Waters as part of the collaborative R-Generation Recycle Cycle campaign

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This Tool Kit Contains:1. Introduction to Plastics - Why recycle plastics? - Recycling plastics today - What can be recycled? 2. The Plastic Recycling Interactive Ass embly An exciting assembly designed to introduce the topic of plastic waste and

inspire children to recycle plastic.

To be delivered with the following films: - The ‘Busta and Pong Recycling Song’ - The ‘Busta 2 Minute Countdown’ film and one of the following

(depending on what can be recycled in your area): - The ‘Making Baby Busta’ film (the focus is on recycling plastic bottles) - The ‘Plastic Wars’ film (the focus is on recycling all plastic,

particularly pots, tubs and trays)

3. Class room Activities and Teaching Resources A table of activities suitable for KS2 pupils that link with core and foundation

curriculum subjects. Suitable for both classroom delivery and Eco-Team/ School Council sessions and as homework activities.

4. Fact Sources

Appendix i. Plastic Waste Audit ii. Waste Decomposition Timeline iii. Plastic Types Table iv. Baby Busta Info-graphic v. The Making of Baby Busta vi. Primary Earth Summit Winning Plastics Poster vii. Historical Timeline of Waste viii. Plastic in the Oceans

Hyperlinks within the text are underlined in bold. Click on the link to find out more about the subject or to link to the recommended supporting resource.

IntroductionThis education pack is designed to make people aware that plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays are not waste but a valuable resource that can be used to create great new products, including the UK’s first 100% rPET soft toy - Busta!

The pack is designed to help children understand the journey of plastic from recycling bins into useful new products, that plastic is a valuable resource and why it should be managed responsibly.

We recommend using this pack to initiate a drive for the whole school to reduce plastic waste. Why not kick start a ‘School Waste Week’ with one of the assembly presentations or run a special focus project with your class or eco-team? The initial assembly can be followed up in the classroom with a presentaion and any of the recommended activities. All activities and resources are linked to KS2 core and foundation subjects.

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We hope this pack will help your children become responsible,

environmentally aware citizens - inspired to recycle plastic!

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Activities in this pack have been linked to the Curriculum in the following subjects:

Core Subjects

EnglishMathematicsScience

Foundation Subjects

Art & DesignCitizenshipComputingDesign & Technology

GeographyHistoryMusicPhysical Education

SummaryPlastic is one of the most popular and useful materials of modern times. We use roughly ‘20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago’ (WRAP) but unless it can be used responsibly it can be damaging to the environment. Part of the problem is that plastic is thought to be cheap and disposable but it is not. Recycled plastic is a valuable resource and can be used to make a multitude of useful things.

Why recycle plastic?Plastics have been around for about 100 years but they are considered to be modern when compared to traditional materials like wood, stone, metal, glass and paper. They can be moulded into complex shapes and forms, allowing them to be used for many different items. Properties of plastics, such as strength, colour and flexibility, can be changed to meet specific requirements. Just imagine what packaging might be like without plastics and what the alternatives might be - glass for example.

Plastics are durable and cheap to manufacture and, as a result, are often thought to be disposable or suitable for single use. There is also confusion about which types of plastic can be recycled, which means some people might believe there is little point in recycling these items.

It is important to recycle plastic as this avoids it being buried in landfill. Recycling just 1.5 tonnes of plastic bottles saves 1 tonne of carbon from being released into the air, and recycling just 1 plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a energy saving light bulb for 18 hours.

Plastics can be recycled into many different items including: headphones, clothes, soft cuddly toys, filling for duvets and sleeping bags, office accessories, fencing and flooring, window frames, fencing and garden furniture, garden sheds, seed trays, more bottles… the possibilities are endless.

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Did you know ... PET plastic (commonly used to make bottles) can take hundreds of years to degrade in a landfill as it depends on a lot of different factors like acidity. Even as a material PET is sold with a 100 year guarantee for geotextile use, where it is buried to strengthen the ground around big building projects like roads!

Recycling plastic today - what can we recycle?

Today many local authorities across the UK collect plastic items such as bottles, pots, tubs and trays as part of their kerbside recycling provision. Typically they request that all plastic items destined for recycling should be clean, dry and put loosely in the appropriate bins. Ensuring all plastic items are rinsed out to remove any liquid and food residue will help speed up the recycling process.

To find out where different types of plastic items can be recycled in your area go to your council website or look on WRAP’s recycle locator - http://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator.

Remember, items that are not currently collected by your kerbside collection can often be taken to your local HWRC (Househould Waste Recycling Centers).

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The average UK household uses

nearly 500 plastic bottles a year, but recycles just over

280 of them.

75% of UK local authorities collect

pots, tubs and trays as part of their

kerbside collection.

The average value of 1 tonne of mixed plastic bottles was

£87. Using this average, the un-recycled

household plastic bottles in 2014/15

had a potential average value of

nearly £22m.

Did you know ...

* Facts based on ‘Recoup’ UK Households Plastics Collection Survey 2015.

Plastic Recycling Ass embly

Teacher ’s notes

Assembly Overview

- Watching a Wastebuster film on why it is good to recycle plastic - Playing Busta’s Recycling Relay game- Sing-a-long to the Busta and Pong Recycling Song

Preparing for the assemblyMake sure the films are ready to play - they can be found in your supporting resources folder. You will need sound:

- The ‘Busta and Pong Recycling song’ - The ‘Busta 2 minute countdown’ film- Either of the following films (depending on what can be recycled in

your area): - The ‘Baby Busta’ film (the focus is on recycling plastic bottles) - The ‘Plastic Wars’ film (the focus is on recycling all plastics, particularly

pots, tubs and trays)

Preparing for the Busta Plastic Recycling relay gameThis game is intended to test your pupils’ knowledge of what can and can’t be recycled in your area . You will divide the assembly into 2-teams (1-runner per team) who must sort as many of the items you’ve placed around the room into the right bin against the clock as possible. The winning team gets the most items in the correct bin. The game lasts exactly 2 minutes.

To find out where to recycle different types of plastic in your area, go to your council website or look on the ‘Recycle now’ recycle locator.

7www.wastebuster.co.uk © 2016 Wastebuster CIC. Wastebuster is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company.

Ensure you have:

- A timer

- 2 recycle bins and 2 standard bins

You will need a range of clean items (a minimum of 20) that can be recycled in your area, plus examples of each type of item for demonstration purposes.

As the focus is on plastic so we recommend using plastic only for this assembly.

These might include:

- Water / soft drink bottles

- Shampoo bottles

- Cleaning product bottles

- Milk bottles

- Cosmetic bottles

- Fruit punnets

- Ice cream and margarine tubs

You will also need to collect a range of plastic items (a minimum of 20) that cannot be recycled in your area, plus examples of each type of item for demonstration purposes.

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This might include:

- Crisp packets and food wrappers

- Polystyrene food trays

- Plastic carrier bags

- CD cases

- Colouring felt tip pens

On the day of the assembly, place a recycle bin and a standard rubbish bin for each team at the front of the assembly hall. Make sure they are clearly marked, and they are the bins that the pupils are familiar with using every day. Position the recyclable and non-recyclable items around the assembly hall, ideally spread out along the two side walls and the back wall of the assembly hall. Placing the items away from the bins adds to the excitement.

It is important that the items can be reached once the assembly hall is full, so make sure your colleagues know to leave a gap when seating the children.

Delivering the Assembly

Suggested Introduction

‘Today’s assembly is about how you can help care for the environment by recycling, and the fantastic things that can be made from recycled plastic. Wastebuster have made a film for us about this. Let’s see if we can tune in!’

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Play the Wastebuster Film

The films cover:

- Why recycling plastic is good for the environment

- How a plastic can become lots of different amazing things when it is recycled

- What the children can do to make a difference (call to action to recycle more plastic)

Play the Game

Tell the children they are going to play a game that is fast and furious and will test their knowledge on what plastic can and can’t currently be recycled in their home or school.

Show the recycling containers and general rubbish bins at the front of the assembly hall (have one set of bins for each team).

Hold up examples of items that can and cannot be recycled at your school.

Ask the children to shout out “recycle” or “bin” depending on whether or not each item you hold up can be recycled.

Put each item in the correct bin and offer explanation / correct misunderstanding if required.

Split the children into 2 groups, e.g. the children sitting on the left hand side of the assembly hall are team A and the children sitting on the right hand side are team B.

Choose 2 children, 1 from each team, to be recycling heroes and ask them to come and stand at the front of the hall (you may want to pre-select helpers).

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- Explain that these children will be the runners for their team and that their task is to put as many of the things Busta has placed on their side of the room into the correct bin in 2 mins.

- The 2 runners will start from the front of the assembly hall. They will collect 1 item at a time, bring each item up to the front, hold it up, put it in the right bin, then go back for the next item.

- The rest of their team, who are sitting down, can help by shouting out “recycle” or “bin” when their team runner holds up the item they have collected at the front of the hall.

- Use the ‘Busta 2 minute countdown’ film to time the game.

- Reward the team with the most items in the correct bins as the winner. Congratulate both teams and get the participants seated again.

If you plan to do any of the classroom activities in the pack with your classor eco-team, now would be a good time to mention the children might have a chance to do more recycling activities.

Sing-a-long to the Busta and Pong Recycling SongTell the children, as they have done so well learning about plastic, they can now sing-a-long to the Busta and Pong recycling song. Otherwise, you can play this song whilst children leave the assembly hall.

Teaching ActivitiesMaths: Busta Bottle Saver! Extension activities and

other curricular linksSupporting resources

Screen the ‘Making Baby Busta’ film. On the white board draw a simple recycling factory with 5 bottles going in and 1 Busta soft toy going out.

Work with the pupils to think about how many plastic bottles are needed to make multiples of 5, 10 and 20 Bustas (1x Busta toy = 5 plastic bottles). See if pupils can put this information into a table.

Encourage pupils to multiply and divide the numbers mentally to calculate how many plastic bottles are needed to make a Busta soft toy for every pupil in the class and for every pupil in the school. On average, every plastic bottle recycled saves 130cm3 of landfill space.

Computing: Find items that are the same size or similar size to the space thoses plastic bottles would have taken up in landfill e.g. a mini cooper or an African Elephant.

Making Baby Busta filmBaby Busta PowerPoint Presentation

Maths: Wastebuster Waste-Free Lunches Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Find out how many plastic items are thrown away in your school every day, week, month and year (that could be recycled) with a lunchtime audit.

Work with your class or eco-team to place a clearly marked bin for plastic items to be recycled in your lunch-hall and count the amount of items in the bin after every lunchtime for one week. Use the ‘Plastic waste audit’ sheet to record your results (appendix i)

Add up the total number of plastic items collected. Taking this number as an average, calculate how many plastic items would be saved from landfill and recycled in a month and a year. What was thrown away most/least? Why is this? Can we cut down the amount of plastic that we use and buy?

NOTE: Find out where to recycle different types of plastic items in your area go to your Council website or look on the ‘Recycle now’ recycle locator.

Maths: The school could have a Wastebuster waste-free lunch week, when pupils should try to minimise the amount of packaging they use. This could be led bythe School Council, class or eco- team. Another week of lunchtime audits can measure the impact of their campaigning (by comparing figures with their baseline data).

Calculate how much energy, water and carbon would be saved if every pupil in the class, and then every pupil in the whole school, were to recycle one plastic bottle every day - per week, month and year.

To help pupils gain a sense of scale, ask them to find out the weight of a popular type of plastic bottle, and its volume, to calculate the overall weight and volume of the plastic bottles they and their families are throwing away. This will show them how much space they would be taking up in landfill. weekly - monthly and yearly, if they weren’t recycled.

Plastic waste audit (appendix i)

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Maths: Taking it home Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Ask children to keep a diary of how many plastic items they throw away (and recycle) at home in a week. Taking this figure as an average, ask the children to calculate howmany plastic items their family throws away (and recycles) in a month and a year. Give pupils a copy of the attached Plastic Waste Audit sheet (appendix i) or ask pupils to design their own recording sheet.

Analyse the results to find out which categories are thrown away most/least. Why is this?Together, calculate the average number of plastic items thrown away (and recycled) by families collectively in a year. Finally, add the total amount of items thrown away (and recycled) at school with the total thrown away (and recycled) at home.

Present the data from your audit using bar charts, pictograms and tables. Pupils can then create a class display or presentation for a school assembly as a compelling case for everybody to recycle more.

Maths: Calculate the potential energy, carbon and landfill space savings there would be if all the bottles thrown away in your school and at home were recycled. On average, every plastic bottle recycled saves 360W of energy, 63 grams of carbon and 130cm3 of landfill space.

Computing: Ask pupils to design a spread sheet using appropriate software to record the amount of plastic bottles thrown away in each household in a week and the amount of water, energy, carbon and landfill savings when they are recycled.

Remember to send your waste audit results to captainbusta@wastebuster.co.uk to enter the Wastebuster Challenge. All entries receive a Challenge award certificate.

Plastic Waste Audit (appendix i)

English: Green Team News Reporters Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Show pupils the ‘Why Should We Recycle’ PowerPoint. Ask pupils to read through the Green Team News plastic edition. Tell them the Wastebuster team have challenged them to be reporters and write a story on the importance of recycling plastic that they think will help encourage people to recycle more plastic. Suggest pupils add pictures or create a film to accompany their story.

English: Ask pupils to turn their report into an assembly presentation or film report to share with the whole school as part of a Green Week. Ask pupils to create a poem or a play based on the information they discover.

Science: Discuss what might happen to plastic bottles if they don’t get recycled into something like a Busta toy (litter, landfill or incineration) and why recycling is better than these options from a social, economic and environmental perspective.

Remember to send pupils reports to captainbusta@wastebuster.co.uk to enter the Wastebuster Challenge. All entries receive a Challenge award certificate.

‘Why should we recycle’ PowerPointGreen Team News

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Science: Decomposition Timeline Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Look at the Waste Decomposition Timeline and have a quiz for pupils. See if they can guess how long it takes for plastic to decompose. Write out a list (or find examples) of the items in the timeline and see if the children can put the items in the right order.

Using the questions below pupils should consider why different materials have different decomposition rates, including why it takes longer for plastic to decompose when it is buried in landfill (e.g. plastic photo-degrades so without exposure to sunlight this process is slowed dramatically).

Quiz: Use the following quiz questions to get pupils thinking about plastic. Discuss how they feel about the answers.

Q: How long do you think it takes for plastic bottles, pots, tubs or trays to begin decomposing?A: Between 400-1000 years. Plastic bottles pots, tubs and trays have not been around long enough for us to know this but estimates put the length of time for a plastic item to degrade buried in landfill sites between 400-1000 years.Q: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a long life bulb for how long?A: 18 hoursQ: How many plastic bottles are used in the UK every day?A: 35 millionQ: It takes how many 2 litre plastic bottles to make one average sized fleece jacket?A: 25

Maths: Ask pupils to create their own plastic facts quiz. This could be set as a homework activity or added to throughout exploration of the topic.

Computing: Pupils can use resources on the Wastebuster website to find out more plastic facts. Pupils can meet Pedro Plastic in the Kids Bin and in the Games section of the Kids Bin. The Wastebuster Universe game also offers useful facts about waste and recycling and gives pupils an opportunity to earn reward points for learning to access more games.

Decomposition Timeline (appendix ii)

Visit the Wastebuster Teachers Bin to watch films and presentations on plastic recycling

Science: Plastic Properties Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Present pupils with a selection of different types of plastic packaging. Ask teams to compare and then group the collection in any way they choose. Suggest teams might consider grouping on the basis of their use or properties, including their hardness, transparency, durability etc.

Ask teams to explain the reasons for their different grouping. Discuss the different uses and properties of different types of plastic.

Look at the different symbols for different types of plastic (see the ‘Plastic Type sheet’ (appendix iii). Can pupils group plastic items into plastic type, what do they notice about their properties?

Art & Design: Design new on-pack labeling for a plastic item that will encourage consumers to recycle it.

‘Plastic Types’ sheet (appendix iii) Pedro Plastic in the Games section of the Wastebuster Kids bin.

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Science: Plastic Recycling Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Look at the properties of plastic and the stages of how they are changed into new items. Using the Baby Busta toy as an example, use the ‘Baby Busta’ PowerPoint presentation to help pupils consider the process of how plastic bottles can be turned into different types of material, how this is possible and how different the new types of material are.

Look at the ‘Baby Busta infographic’(appendix iv) and ‘The making of Baby Busta’ (appendix v) illustrating how the Baby Busta is made

Ask pupils to consider other possible uses for the type of recycled material that is used to make Baby Busta (PET) e.g. clothes, bedding, furniture filler etc.

‘How to Make a Baby Busta’ film.Baby Busta Info Graphic (appendix iv)The Making of Baby Busta (appendix v)Baby Busta PowerPoint Presentation.

Design and Technology: Plastic Creations Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Invite pupils to design an innovative, functional, appealing new product from recycled plastic items (such as pots, tubs and trays).

Do a mind mapping activity where pupils have in front of them a variety of pots, tubs and trays (please ensure they are clean, dry and loose). Pupils can work in groups to come up with ideas for how they can be reused. Ask pupils to write their answers on a large piece of paper for example, for potting plants or in art projects. Groups rotate so that they read each others ideas and add more of their own.

Pupils then choose one example from above and write a list of the materials they will need, followed by instructions for how they will make it. They should consider how they will adapt the plastic item/s and sketch a plan for their model.

Ask pupils to choose one item and use the instructions to help them make the item out of plastic packaging. Discuss if the instructions were clear enough and amend if necessary.

Make a classroom display of instructions for how to reuse plastic packaging items.Make a class booklet -101 ways to reuse your plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays.

Computing: Remarkable Plastics Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Watch ‘The science behind remarkable’ film showing an example of a product made from recycled plastic. As homework or in class, invite pupils to research other exciting new products that have been made from recycled plastic on the internet, to be discerning in evaluating the information and collate the top 10 most compelling products. Present findings in a spread sheet or create a PowerPoint presentation.

‘The science behind remarkable’ film.

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Art & Design: Plastic Posters Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

The ideas below can be run as a homework or class activity.

Invite children to design a campaign poster to encourage more plastic bottle, pot, tub and tray recycling. Pupils should research into other campaign posters and consider why they are effective, who they are targeting, key messages, design approach including colours, images and fonts. As an example show the poster designed by the pupils who won the Primary Earth Summit competition (appendix vii)

There are a number of different aspects of plastic recycling that pupils can focus on. For example ensuring people understand what plastic items can be recycled in your area or making sure people are aware that items for recycling need to be clean, dry and loose when they go into the recycling bin.

The top design, voted for the class, can be made and placed around the school.

Or pupils can be encouraged to put up their poster at home to remind their families to recycle.

Remember to send copies of pupils posters to captainbusta@wastebuster.co.uk to enter the Wastebuster Challenge. All entries will receive a Challenge award certificate.

Art & Design: Head to Make and Do section in the Kids Bin of the Wastebuster website for creative ideas on how to reuse plastic items.

Primary Earth Summit Winning Plastics Poster (appendix vi)WRAP’s recycle locator (to find out what can be recycled in your area).

History: Plastic Timeline Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Consider the reasons for the introduction of plastic and the impact, both positive and negative, it has had in the world since its introduction in the 1930s.

Pupils can interview parents and grandparents to find out how plastic has made a difference to their lives over the last 20+ years.

Key interview clips can be collated into a classroom presentation.

History of Waste Timeline (appendix vii)

Geography: Plastic and the Oceans Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Plastic comes from oil. Ask pupils to find out where oil wells are sited globally and how oil is extracted and distributed. Discuss and debate the meaning of finite resources. Consider how plastic is a valuable resource that should be managed responsibly

Look into the location of Gyres, what they are and their link with the water cycle and ocean currents.

English (Speaking and Listening): Discuss problems of drilling for oil in sensitive areas such as the Arctic

Green Team News.Plastic in the Oceans (appendix viii)

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Music: Recycling Song Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Watch the Busta and Pong Recycling song film, and ask the pupils to write a new verse for the song about why recycling plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays is a good thing to do and perform it to the school.

Music: Ask the pupils to write a rap about the problems of plastic and what we can do to prevent plastic damaging the environment.

Busta and Pong Recycling song.

PE: Recycling Dance Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Ask the pupils to learn the Busta and Pong Recycling song dance (chorus only) and encourage pupils to invent their own dance for the rest of the song.

Remember to make a video of your song or dance and send it to captainbusta@wastebuster.co.uk to enter the Wastebuster Challenge. All entries will receive a Challenge award certificate.

Busta and Pong Recycling Song.

PSHE: Get Active Extension activities and other curricular links

Supporting resources

Ask pupils to write to local businesses, councilors or politicians to invite them into your school so they might tell the school what they are doing to tackle plastic waste and increase recycling rates in your town.

Citizenship: Contact your local authority to see if they can arrange a visit for your children around your local recycling facility (MRF).

Visit the local supermarkets and look at the most heavily packaged items. Encourage children to write to the supermarkets to ask about their use of plastic packaging.

Find out if it is possible to get your children involved in volunteer days in your local community. Find out where beach cleans are happening in your area with the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage and find out where Big Tidy Ups are happening and how to get a free litter picking kit from Keep Britain Tidy.

Beach cleanup events: Marine Conservation SocietySurfers Against SewageLitter Picking: The Big Tidy Up

Remember to let Busta know if you are taking part in a campaign, send photos to captainbusta@wastebuster.co.uk to enter the Wastebuster Challenge. All entries will receive a Challenge award certificate.

How to find out moreThe British Plastics Federation (BPF) is good for technical queries and statistics:http://www.bpf.co.uk/sustainability/plastics_recycling.aspx

Recycle Now have a number of useful films and information regarding all recycling:http://www.recyclenow.com/facts-figures/ how-it-recycled/ plastic-bottles

Wastebuster is the homeof Busta and this page has a handy infographic about the manufacturingprocess of Busta:http://www.wastebuster.co.uk/-busta

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RECOUP is a plastics recycling organisation working to promote good practice, provide information and aid the sustainable development of UK plastic recycling:http://www.recoup.org/p/185/why-plastic-why-plastic-packaging

Pledge 4 Plastics is a government backed national initiative which aims to boost recycling of plastic packaging in the UK:http://www.pledge4plastics.co.uk/page/6/plastics-info

Fact SourcesResource Location Fact Source

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 4 We use roughly ‘20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago’ (WRAP)

http://www.recyclenow.co.uk/consumers/why-recycle/

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 25 In Britain we use approximately 35 million plastic bottles every day

RECOUP

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 25 25 PET plastic bottles are recycled to make a fleece jacket

http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/fast-facts-plastics

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 5 PET plastic (commonly used to make bottles) can take hundreds of years to degrade in a landfill as it depends on a lot of different factors like acidity. Even as a material PET is sold with a 100 year guarantee for geotextile use, where it is buried to strengthen the ground around big building projects like roads!

http://www.geotextile.com/downloads/Propex%20EB-405%20Durability%20of%20Polypropylene.pdf

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 14 Q: How many plastic bottles are used in the UK every day?A: 35 million

RECOUP

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 14 On average, every plastic bottle recycled saves 360W of energy, 63 grams of carbon and 130cm3 of landfill space.

http://www2.wrap.org.uk/downloads/business-pack-a4-final.37cd288a.10894.pdfhttp://www.wrap.org.uk/content/fast-facts-plasticsftp://ftp.dec.state.ny.us/dshm/SWMF/Info/Volume%20to%20Weight%20Conversion%20Factors.pdf

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 14 Q: How long do you think it takes for plastic bottles take to begin composting?A. Around 500 years.Plastic bags have not been around long enough for us to know this but estimates put the length of time for a plastic bag to degrade in landfill sites between 400-1000 years.

https://studentjournals.plymouth.ac.uk/index.php/pss/article/viewFile/36/77http://www.eco-schoolsni.org/media/bd7ae86df6d8443c85a2825c45a72559KS12%20plastic%20ideas%20for%20teachers_04.pdf

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 14 Q: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a long life bulb for how long?A: 18 hours

http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/fast-facts-plastics

KS2 Teachers Activities and Resources

Page 14 Q: It takes how many 2 litre plastic bottles to make one average sized fleece jacket?A: 25

http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/fast-facts-plastics

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Appendix i.

Type of product Tally Total What type of plastic is the item made from? (can you see the triangle symbol?)

Is there any part of the packaging that cannot be recycled?

Do you currently recycle this pot tub or tray?

Example - yoghurt pot

lll 3 the foil lid Yes

Yoghurt Pot

Fish/Meat Tray

Biscuit Tray

Margarine Tub

Ready Made Meal

Fruit/Vegetable tray

Shampoo/Soap bottle

Water bottle

Other bottle

Other

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Name: Date:

Plastic Waste Audit

We are doing a project about plastic recycling. To help us investigate how much plastic we use and what can be recycled please can you monitor the plastic items you use for ............................. day/s /week/s.

To find out what different types of plastic items can be recycled in your area go to your Council website or on WRAP’s recycle locator.

Appendix ii.

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Waste Decomposition Timeline

Appendix iii.

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Plastic Types Table

Although the word “plastic” suggests just one material, there are in fact several hundred different plastic polymers. Each one has a combination of properties that make it suitable for specific applications.

The following table illustrates the most common types of plastics used, their applications and the symbol which is often used to identify them on forms of plastic packaging. As you can see, the vast majority of plastics used are thermoplastics. It is much more difficult to recycle thermoset plastics.

Appendix iv.

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Baby Busta Infographic

The making of Baby BustaOne of the many items that plastic bottles are used to make are the Busta soft toys, by Wastebuster. Busta is made using PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles, these are usually marked with a number 1 inside a triangle stamped on them. The equivalent of 5 plastic bottles are used to makeevery Busta.

So how is Baby Busta made?

1. After plastic bottles are collected for recycling they are sorted into different types of plastic. Several processes are used for this, some items are picked out by hand but others are sorted by different machines which identify different properties of the bottles (e.g. size, density, colour and type of plastic). Typically the type and colour of the plastic is identified by the light it reflects back to a scanner. Different colours or types of plastic are then blown by air jets into different storage bins.

2. Even after sorting, some bottles will have parts made from different plastics or colours (like lids). To remove these the items are first chipped into flakes.

3. The flakes are then washed to separate the plastics and remove dirt and labels.

4. The flakes are then blow-dried and more light sorters help separate the flakes of plastic into different colours.

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Appendix v.

5. Another machine heats and mixes the flakes into a paste which is squeezed out through a plate with holes in to make a type of plastic spaghetti.

6. The strings of plastic are then cooled and cut into pellets called “chips”.

7. The next step of the process depends on what type of product is needed from the recycled plastic. In the case of Busta, a fine thread is needed therefore the chips undergo more heating, pressure and are squeezed though a plate with lots of even smaller holes by another machine, to make fine fibres thinner than a human hair!

8. These fibres can then be combined to make thicker fibre / thread and coloured to make the cloth for Busta, or fluffed up to make his stuffing.

9. Busta is then fabricated from the materials following a pattern.

Did you know In Britain we use approximately

35 million plastic bottles every day.

Did you know 25 PET plastic

bottles are recycled to make a

fleece jacket.

Did you know 5 PET plastic

bottles are recycled to make a

Busta soft toy.

25

Appendix vi.

27

Primary Earth Summit Winning Plastics Poster

Appendix vii.

28

Historical Timeline of Waste

Appendix viii.

29

Plastic and the Oceans