Where Does Our Waste Go?
The object of this project was to increase awareness in both children and adults about the amount of waste that is created in our community, as well as where it goes once it leaves our residences and businesses. This project involves two components: educating the Green Sanctuary team about the local Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF - completed in the Spring of 2018), then using the information gained to develop a children’s religious education (RE) lesson about MRF (completed August 18, 2018) and a forum for adults about the MRF (completed March 10, 2019), and finally organizing a field trip to the MRF for all member of SFUU (the pandemic interfered with this event).
Members of the Green Sanctuary team went on the MRF field trip to determine the feasibility of bringing the children, youth and adults to the facility and to gather information to use for the children’s RE class and adult RE forum. The children’s RE lesson and adult forum presented what the MRF does with our the waste and promoted discussion about what we can do to reduce waste production both personally and in our church community.
Green Team Leader for this project: Marsha von Dessonneck
Click below for web resources mentioned in Marsha’s presentation:
Science Friday podcasts about plastic and trash:
Rethinking Recycling In Philadelphia Suburbs (originally aired 3/1/2019)
Trash Talk: Uncovering the Waste in U.S. Landfills (originally aired 9/25/2015)
The World’s Oceans Are Overflowing With Plastics Pollution (originally aired 2/13/2015)
The History of Wastefulness (4 podcasts from the BBC)
Can Plastic Clothes Save the Oceans (video from the BBC)
A Solution to Plastic Pollution Crisis (Sierra Club California Newsletter)
Click below for more information about the MRF:
PECA tours the MRF - learn where your trash goes!
Western Placer Materials Reclamation Facility (Roseville, Ca)
Placer County Information about Garbage and Recycling (scroll down to view the frequently asked questions)