Domestic Waste

This topic, from the Association for Science Education, allows classes across the world to exchange information about waste management. Students discuss the ways in which their community deals with waste and what can be done to cope with the problems caused by waste.

This topic introduces students to the distinctions between strategies for dealing with waste problems including waste reduction, reuse, recycling and energy recovery. The study of the topic covers a range of natural and synthetic materials including metals, ceramics and polymers.

While working through this topic, students have the opportunity to carry out a 'waste audit'; to investigate what happens to waste in the local community; and to review reports in local media to see what are the current issues related to waste. After exchanging their findings and views with students in other countries, students compare and discuss the responses received from classes in other parts of the world.

This topic can be a focus for cross curricular work linking science to geography, modern languages and ICT for students aged 12-14. This topic is available in English, Ukrainian, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. The English and Ukranian versions are an update published in 2006. The versions in other languages were published in 1999.

There are still schools making active use of Science Across the World topics and exchanging ideas and information. For details visit the Science Across the World pages of the ASE web site.