The Plastics Awareness Project
For Youth Climate Activists
The Plastics Awareness Project would not be possible without the grant received from the Mountain Watershed Association to cover the cost of this program. The Direct Support Fund is made possible by The Heinz Endowments, The 11th Hour Project, and The Plastic Solutions Fund and is a project of the Mountain Watershed Association. For more information or to apply please visit www.mtwatershed.com.
The Plastics Awareness Project
A program for young
Citizen Activists
CHAPTERS
The Discovery Process
Why do we care about plastics?
What makes plastics so useful?
Where do we find plastics?
Look around you - how many of the things you see are made of plastic?
#__________
Can you answer these questions?
Chapter I
WOW!
Plastics are everywhere! But these are the ones we can see easily, what about the ones that aren’t so obvious?
https://tide-turners.org/
Challenge!
Find two examples of everyday items that contain hidden plastic. Then think of plastic-free alternatives.
Alternative____________________
Alternative____________________
ttps://tide-turners.org/
Why Do We Care About Plastics
We still need to answer that question!
https://tide-turners.org/
https://tide-turners.org/
SO WHAT CAN WE RECYCLE NOW?
Like shipping boxes from Amazon! Be sure to flatten them before adding to your blue bin!
Like milk containers, peanut butter jars, and water bottles! Clean and remove caps!
Like soda cans, soup cans, and canned vegetables. Remove the lid and clean the can.
Like spaghetti sauce jars, pickle jars and wine bottles. Toss the lids and wash the bottles.
Getting it Right!
Watch this video to learn how to recycle correctly!
But What Happens to Plastic We Throw Away?
Watch this TED-Ed video and find out!
Ted.Ed.com
Your Mission -
Part 1
Now that you know more about plastics, let’s start learning just how much we rely on them!
Your Mission-
Part 2
YOU GOT THIS!
LEARN MORE & CHALLENGE YOURSELF
Here are 10 simple steps to help reduce plastics everyday:
Can you think of more?
REFUSE
REDUCE
REUSE
REPURPOSE
RECYCLE
FINDINGS!
Is your blue bin holding just the BIG 4?
Where do our plastics end up?
What are single use plastics?
What were the biggest surprises in your plastic collection?
Can you answer these questions?
Chapter II
BLUE BIN CHECK IN!
Any misplaced items in your blue bin?
What do you suppose happens to the stuff we forget to recycle or forget to recycle correctly?
Where Does It All Go
Watch this video made in Canada and find out! Not much different than in the US!
What are Single Use Plastics? A plastic item used once for a short time before being thrown away.
Types of Single Use Plastics
The impacts of this plastic waste on the environment and our health are global and can be drastic. Single-use plastic products are more likely to end up in our seas than reusable options.
https://www.natgeokids.com/
How Can We Use Less Plastic
My Idea List
Here are few ideas to get you started!
Here’s Your Challenge!
Buy bottled milk at Central Market or Lemon Street. Stays fresh longer too!
Buy bamboo toothbrushes, and toothpaste tabs while you’re at it.
Your idea
_________________
Your idea
__________________
Set a goal to eliminate or reduce 2 kinds of plastics
from your daily life!
Here are two examples - what will you try to reduce?
?
?
Milk Jugs
Plastic Toothbrushes
Now Write Down Your 2 Ideas
Your idea
_________________
Your idea
__________________
?
?
PLASTIC, PLASTIC EVERYWHERE
Chapter III
Are you starting to see plastic in your dreams?
In the following short video made in Canada, we’ll learn how plastics and microplastics, especially from single use plastics are literally EVERYWHERE - including in us!
Questions to think about:
Watch this video!
So let’s answer those questions now -
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
LET’S REVISIT OUR 5 R’S
What about RETHINK?
REFUSE
REDUCE
REUSE
REPURPOSE
RECYCLE
verb
/rēˈTHiNGk/
think again about (something such as a policy or course of action), especially in order to make changes to it.
Here’s Your Challenge!
Ask your favorite restaurant to not offer plastic straws. Tell them why.
Share your poster at school, church or library to help people learn about options to plastics.
Your idea
_________________
Your idea
__________________
Can you think of 2 ways you can change a policy or
course of action that will help reduce plastics in our environment?
Here are 2 suggestions, what are your’s?
?
?
Ban drinking straws
Make a poster showing plastic alternatives
WATCH - LEARN - THINK
Why are these kids taking action?
What kind of action are they taking to fight plastic pollution?
What surprised you the most about this film?
How does this film make you feel about plastic pollution and what we can do about it?
While you watch this quick film, give some thought to -
Chapter IV
Watch, listen and learn!
National Geographic
DOCUMENTARY
Why are these kids taking action?
What kind of action are they taking to fight plastic pollution?
What surprised you the most about this film?
How does this film make you feel about plastic pollution and what we can do about it?
Now what do you think?
Here’s Your Challenge!
?
Your new plastic item to reduce!
__________
SOLUTIONS
Chapter V
What have you learned so far?
What I can and cannot recycle
Ways to reduce my plastics use
The 5 R’s - Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle and …
RETHINK: take a look at the non-recyclable plastic you’ve collected and ask - “how can I change my actions to keep those items out of my trash?”
Say “no” to any single use plastics!
Visit farmers markets and stores that offer bulk purchasing where I can use my own containers
Buy refillable household cleaning products, and use powdered dish detergent and laundry detergent
Make our own baked goods like bread and cookies whenever possible
What else can you do?
RETHINK: take a look at your household trash in general and ask - “how can I change my actions to keep those items out of my trash?”
Get a used bike from a yard sale or Buy Nothing- Sell Nothing group
Have a clothing swap with our neighbors instead of buying clothing online or throwing clothes out
Celebrate birthdays and holidays with repurposed, unwrapped gifts, or use fabric or pillow cases instead
Have fun with friends making upcycled art projects
What else can you do?
Here’s Your Challenge!
You’re amazing!
CREATE - SPEAK - ACT
Become a Climate
Activist or Artivist
Chapter VI
Can you define these words?
“It does not matter how big your position is, the only thing that matters is how big your actions are.” Krutaarth Ashvinkumar Patel
ACTIVIST - a person who actively campaigns to have issues of climate change recognized and addressed.
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/stories/meet-terrific-teens-pollution-solutions/
ARTIVIST - an artist whose work is a reflection of her activism.
“I’ve been involved in two annual beach cleanup projects, and I’ve been stunned by the countless bottles and plastic bags that are spread across the shoreline. This inspired my piece. My art is my version of the iceberg metaphor: people can only see the portion above the surface but are oblivious of the portion undersea. I feel this is the case in Peru (as in many other countries). People can appreciate our whales, yet fail to realize that by continuing to litter the sea with their plastic waste, they are responsible for the harm of marine wildlife through ingestion or entanglement.”
14-year-old Dafne Murillo from Lima, Peru
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/stories/meet-terrific-teens-pollution-solutions/
ADVOCATE - someone who speaks in favor of, or who supports a cause, or speaks on another’s behalf.
Here’s Your Challenge!
Let’s take a look back at what we’ve learned:
Week 1: Recycling limitations
Week 2: My plastic habits
Week 3: Plastics are everywhere
Week 4: Finding solutions with the 5 R’s
Week 5: Finding inspiration and rethinking plastics
Week 6: WHAT COMES NEXT?
YOU!
It’s time to take what you’ve learned and put your talents to work to help reduce plastics in your community. Here are a few ideas.
Sidewalk Chalk Art showing plastic pollution on the beach.
Invite your friends over to make BIG BATCHES of cookies to share and freeze.
Pack your school lunch in reusable containers and encourage your friends to do the same.
Organize a toy swap in your neighborhood. Keep your unwanted plastic toys out of the landfill.
Sew reusable shopping bags out of old sheets, towels or leftover fabric.
LIST YOUR IDEAS & PUT THEM INTO ACTION
Start with one idea, learn what works and what doesn’t.
Don’t be shy - share your ideas with friends and family!
Share your great work with College Park CAN Facebook Group!
YOU ARE AMAZING! WHY?
Because you are curious, creative and determined.
Because you care enough to do the hard work of reducing plastics in your community!
Because you are YOU!
THANK YOU!
We are grateful to the Mountain Watershed Association, Franklin & Marshall College Center for the Sustainable Environment and RegenAll for supporting the Plastics Awareness Project and the efforts of our College Park Climate Action Neighborhood. 2024
CollegeParkCAN.org