Sustainable Waste Management
Primary 6 · Science and Elementary Technology
Sustainable Waste Management
Lesson 1 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
After lunch, Gatete's class goes on a "waste walk" around the school with gloves and sacks. By the kitchen they find banana peels. Near the classrooms: a torn exercise book and a plastic bottle. By the office: a used battery from the wall clock. Near the fence: broken glass and an empty cement bag.
"Can all of this go in one sack?" asks their teacher. "Think carefully, because some of it can rot, some can be made into something new, and some can hurt people." Today you will learn to sort waste the way experts do.
Waste is anything we throw away because we no longer want it or cannot use it. But there is no such place as "away". Everything we throw away stays somewhere on Earth: in the soil, in rivers and lakes like the Nyabarongo and Lake Kivu, or in the air as smoke.
Plastic is useful because it is strong and lasts a long time. But when it is thrown away, those same properties become a problem: it pollutes the land and water for a very long time, animals get tangled in it, and cows and goats can die from eating plastic bags.
| Group | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Organic | Comes from plants or animals; rots | Peels, leftover food, leaves, dung |
| Recyclable | Can be made into new things. There are four main groups: paper and cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic | Old newspapers, boxes, glass jars, soda cans, plastic bottles |
| Hazardous (harmful) | Can poison, burn, cut or spread disease; must be handled with care | Batteries, broken bulbs, old medicines, used needles, paint, pesticide containers, broken glass |
| Other (non-hazardous, non-recyclable) | Safe but cannot easily be recycled | Dirty wrappers, old sponges |
"At the source" means where the waste is made: at home, at school, at the market. When we put organic, recyclable and hazardous waste in different bins or bags straight away:
Tip
Ask two questions about every piece of waste: "Will it ROT?" If yes, it is biodegradable and can go to compost. "Can it HURT?" If yes, it is hazardous, so keep it apart and handle it with care.
Answers
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The exercises (Try it yourself and the practice questions) are written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
On the waste walk, Gatete's class finds a used battery from the wall clock. Into which group should it go?
