Trash Project
Part 1
For my trash challenge project, I choose to thank my local sanitation workers. I decided that it would be more meaningful if I showed them how much I appreciate them as opposed to just telling them. So I decided to bake some cookies and write a letter expressing my appreciation. I placed a bag of cookies with the notes on each of the trash cans (recycle, trash, and plants). Two of the people came while I was in school, but I was able to see the third person. He seemed to be really happy, and he even honked his horn!
I had a lot of fun doing this project, and it really made me think about where the trash I produce goes. I decided that from now on, I will do something to show my appreciation for sanitation workers at least once per month. In addition to thanking the sanitation workers, I also started packing my sandwich for lunch in a reusable pouch. Doing this made me think about how much plastic I could save if I never used plastic bags again. Then that made me think about how much trash we could stop producing if everyone started using reusable bags instead of plastic bags.
This made me think about the design challenge in a very different way. I started to think that maybe I was approaching the problem backwards. If nobody produced trash, then we wouldn’t need clean team or trash cans. It also made me think about the interesting piece of data that I found that almost all of the trash found in our area originated from school provided lunches. What if we could transform the school provided lunch to be served in reusable containers that were returned at the end of each lunch period, washed, and reused the next day? Doing that could eliminate a lot of our schools trash problem.
I had a lot of fun doing this project, and it really made me think about where the trash I produce goes. I decided that from now on, I will do something to show my appreciation for sanitation workers at least once per month. In addition to thanking the sanitation workers, I also started packing my sandwich for lunch in a reusable pouch. Doing this made me think about how much plastic I could save if I never used plastic bags again. Then that made me think about how much trash we could stop producing if everyone started using reusable bags instead of plastic bags.
This made me think about the design challenge in a very different way. I started to think that maybe I was approaching the problem backwards. If nobody produced trash, then we wouldn’t need clean team or trash cans. It also made me think about the interesting piece of data that I found that almost all of the trash found in our area originated from school provided lunches. What if we could transform the school provided lunch to be served in reusable containers that were returned at the end of each lunch period, washed, and reused the next day? Doing that could eliminate a lot of our schools trash problem.