CHALLENGE 3 A
OBJECTIVES
After listening to several podcasts about making zero-waste living and discussing them at length, you will make your own one.
ACTIVITY
Your task will be to produce a podcast on Anchor which is a FREE podcast platform.
The purpose of creating a podcast is multiple:
(1) to give you exposure to new forms of digital media and software;
(2) to have first-hand experience with copyright issues;
(3) to learn more about zero-waste lifestyle and to show how that topic relates to what we have been discussing in class; and (4) to have fun and be creative.
CHALLENGE 3B
OBJECTIVES
Art from recycled materials and found objects is a great alternative to mass produced art. Each piece is likely to be truly individual and one of a kind. Art can be created from many recycled materials and found objects. The recycling of materials for use in art is not a new trend. Painted canvases, for instance, were commonly painted over to create new works of art in the past.
ACTIVITY
Making your own art from recycled materials is not as difficult as it sounds. Many materials that can be recycled into decorative items. The key is to look at the pattern and color of an item and not its functionality. Using recyclable materials, you will create artwork ( plan and build your sculpture) and take care of your natural environment.
Gather a variety of recycled items such as:
- Newspaper
- Cardboard
- Plastic silverware
- Aluminum cans
- Plastic bottles
- Paper towel rolls
Check out some contemporary artwork:
Watch ” Waste Land”– an Oscar-nominated movie which demonstrates how art can transform the artist, the subject, and its viewer.
CHALLENGE 3C
OBJECTIVES
Impactr is a global youth-led community that collaborates to engage in small actions for big change in sustainability, justice and climate change. It aims to become the world´s new digital home for youth-led social action that makes sustainability mainstream and shifts the entire world´s spending to trusted social and environmental impact, starting with food, fashion and green energy lifestyle areas.
ACTIVITY
Your task will be to review this mobile app. Please mention the following elements in your review:
- Basic functionality: What exactly is it designed to do? What is its purpose?
- Target audience: Who is the app designed for? What age groups? (if appropriate)
- Who else might like to use it and why?
- Simplicity and ease of use: Can you figure out how to use it quickly?
- Playfulness: Does it delight the user? Is it fun to use?
- Visual design: Is it visually appealing? Is the icon distinctive and eye-catching?
- Sound design: If sound is included, do the sounds help you use the app? Are they of good quality? Are they customizable?
- How does the app work for users with disabilities? Does it have features that help those with low vision, hearing impairments, or other disabilities?
CHALLENGE 3D
OBJECTIVES
As landfills are often hidden from view, it’s all too easy to overlook the amount of waste that we, human beings, produce and the negative impacts on our shared planet. Check out this video to illustrate that point.
ACTIVITY
Have you ever wondered how much waste you and your family actually produce? Well, you’re about to find out! There is no shame in this process; think of it as a quick and high impact learning experience! To start, monitor and collect all of the waste that you and your friends/family/roommates accumulate in one day in one trash can. Make sure to begin the day with an empty rubbish bin. If you don’t have one already, collect food waste for the day in a separate bucket.
- Take a photo of everything accumulated at the end of the day, separated into recyclables, non-recyclables and food waste/compost. Check out your local guidelines for recycling to make sure you properly sort items.
- Now, consider reusable options. Pick two specific items that you found in your trashcan and tell us how you could avoid creating that waste in the future by using reusable alternatives. Search online to find the zero waste essentials that you would choose to enable you to live a low waste lifestyle. (Think cups, bottles, utensils, bags, any and all!)
CHALLENGE 3E
As an individual, you will commit to taking a critical look at the waste you make in your everyday life and pledge to generate as little landfill waste as possible for a full week, including the weekend!
Collect and keep anything that belongs in the landfill (other than sanitary products) in a bag or container for the full 7 days. Compost organics, refuse single use plastics and do your best to find ways to reuse unavoidable items. Record a 60-sec long video where you reflect on this 7-day long experiment.
CHALLENGE 3F
In this challenge, you will design a reusable shopping bag out of an old T-shirt or any other clothing item you no longer use and make a small, reusable cloth bag for your fruit and vegetables. Make a video or collage about the process, product, and reflection.
CHALLENGE 3G
Many seem to know the three most prominent Rs of Zero Waste – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. But taking a more in-depth look into the challenges of creating a zero waste society, one quickly discovers that there’s a whole palette of solutions connected to zero waste, beyond Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Write a text ( story/ article/ a five-paragraph essay) about a 16-year old student who has decided to implement the 8Rs of zero waste in his life.
CHALLENGE 3H
OBJECTIVES
Most people assume that living life means producing a massive amount of waste. During a typical day, we may dispose of single-use plastic food wrappers, plastic bottles, straws, utensils, bags, product containers, packaging, tags, produce, leftover scraps, work papers, newspapers and much more – and do that again every single day! No part of this equation is sustainable, nor necessary.
ACTIVITY
Ask each member of your household or family to make a list of practices that produce waste in and around your home.
Next, gather to share findings and compare lists. Have a discussion to brainstorm solutions to these practices, striving for lower or zero waste options. Here are some questions to consider:
- What does a typical day of waste look like in your home right now?
- What would an ideal, low-waste home look like?
- What/who generated the most waste and why?
- Now, pick the five most common pieces of waste you use. Handwrite (on upcycled recycled paper, we hope!) a simple solution that includes the ideas your family discussed to eliminate or limit that waste in your home. Think of these notes as pledges to commit to these tactics, so you can get closer to zero waste goals!
- Take a photo of the handwritten reminder and post your solution list on your Sway.
CHALLENGE 3I
OBJECTIVES
In the UK, 10 million tonnes of food are wasted every year, with around 70% of that coming from our homes. This means there is a huge opportunity for us as individuals to make a positive difference and reduce the amount of food we waste at home. Using leftover food to make our skin soft and our hair shine is a fantastic way to keep everything from banana skins to avocado stones out of the bin.
ACTIVITY
Your task will be to upcycle food waste into beauty products. Go online, find some DIY skincare formulations involving inedible food waste ( coffee grounds, fruit stones, nut shells) and make your skincare product.
CHALLENGE 3J
OBJECTIVES
Traditional cleaning products are costly and full of hazardous ingredients. You can ensure that your home is fresh, clean and disinfected with safe materials by making your own cleaning products.
ACTIVITY
Today you are going to make the push towards a more natural lifestyle and make your own chemical-free all natural household cleaners. Go online and find DYI natural cleaning recipes or look below.
CHALLENGE 3K
OBJECTIVES
‘Zero-waste travel is all about effort, not perfection,’ says Anita Vandyke, Australian zero-waste expert, and author of A Zero Waste Life in Thirty Days, who also shares zero-waste travel hacks via her Instagram handle @rocket_science.
ACTIVITY
Imagine you are going on holiday next month and your goal is to make sure that your travel is zero-waste. Find out information about how you can reduce trash during this travel and write a blog post about it.
CHALLENGE 3L
OBJECTIVES
Have you ever seen news coverage of an oil spill in the ocean and wondered how all of that oil could be cleaned up? Huge ships, called tankers, carry oil across the ocean. Sometimes the oil in the tankers spills into the ocean. Oil spills harm plants and animals that live in the oceans.
ACTIVITY
In this task, you will be asked to test the absorptivity of different materials (called sorbents) to discover which ones are best at removing oil from water. You will need the following materials: newspaper, large plastic garbage bag, measuring cup, four sorbents (cotton, cotton balls, sponge, fur, shop towels, feathers), a hammer and a large towel, scissors, vegetable oil, water, coffee filter, timer, liquid soap and calculator. Figure out a way to investigate how well the different sorbents work based on the mass of the water and oil they can absorb. Which sorbent is the best by mass? How well did the different sorbents work over time? Which sorbent is the best by time? Present your findings/ data effectively.
SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE CHALLENGE 