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This week's LabZone activity
Dec. 20, 2006
The Big Dig
Even though many cities have recycling programs, a lot of trash still ends up in the dump. Find out which materials will break down and which materials won't. Will the results of this experiment change which products you often buy?
Objective
In this experiment you will test how biodegradable different materials are.
Introduction
Every year each household contributes waste products by using and consuming disposable products and materials. Sometimes these things are recycled, like many paper, plastic and glass products. Other times the items are re-used, like old tires that are chipped and used to build playground surfacing materials. Some people even save kitchen scraps to add to a compost pile in their yard.
Everything else ends up in a landfill, the place where the garbage man takes all of your trash. Landfills are huge piles of trash that are often buried to help the waste products break down, or decompose. Products that decompose rapidly are called "biodegradable materials." These products are good for the environment because they will break down in the landfill and will not leach harmful chemicals into the soil.
How do you know which products are biodegradable? Sometimes products that are biodegradable will say so on the package. This way a consumer can make an informed choice about which types of products to buy. In this experiment, you can conduct your own survey of selected materials to investigate if they are biodegradable or not in the soil. Which types of products are biodegradable? How does this affect your choice as a consumer?
Experimental Procedure and Additional Information
Used with permission. Copyright © 2002-2006 Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation. All rights reserved.
Sohn, Emily. 2003. Plastic meals for seals. Science News for Kids (Nov. 12). Available at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20031112/Note3.asp .
For more science project ideas, go to http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/areas_of_science.shtml .
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