To introduce and explain behaviors that conserve resources, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance sustainability such as source reduction, recycling, buying recycled, buying with less packaging, and composting. To help protect children's health through increased awareness and behavioral changes related to the safe use, storage, and disposal of household products containing hazardous constituents, such as cleaners, pesticides, and batteries. To make solid waste education interesting, fun, and an integral part of environmental education. To help students understand the concept of personal responsibility toward the environment and to inspire them to make a positive environmental impact in their home, school, and community. This statistic emphasizes the continuing need to teach the next generation about reducing waste and to energize schools and communities to promote environmental awareness.
Kids can learn the connection between recycling an aluminum can and saving energy.
They can learn how their families purchasing decisions impact what manufacturers produce and sell. And they can learn how the consumption of material goods contributes to air and water pollution. Recognizing that educators have a unique opportunity to shape students environmental attitudes, EPA s Office of Solid Waste created this resource to equip teachers with facts and ideas for use in the classroom. Facts presented throughout this resource derive from a variety of governmental, educational, and trade association sources. Some activity ideas were based on existing solid waste educational materials.