Collecting Data to Validate Single-Use Plastic is an Issue on Campus

Objective: To get more conclusive statistics on Newpark’s current plastic consumption and how much of our bins are made up of plastic waste.

How we did it: We selected two bins at random from every floor in the school. We then split into teams of two or three and divided the floors amongst ourselves. We agreed that every day from 11/01 – 18/01 we would conduct a bin audit in the last ten minutes of lunch on the bins in our assigned location. At the end, we would compile our results and analyse Newpark’s rate of plastic consumption. The floors were divided as follows;

Top floor: Cian, Rowan Caia & Nathan

Middle floor: Mia, Liza, Edoardo & Oscar

Ground floor: Oscar Constantine & Oisin

Red Brick building: Sydney & Cillian

Results:

Bin (no.)	Thurs 11	Fri 12	Mon 15	Tues 16	Wed 17
1	SUP YOGURT Crisp packets Cartons Cans PLW CUTLERY	P. BAGS Crisp packets PLW Tinfoil	Cardboard box SUP Crisp packets S/C-B wrappers SUPLC YOGURT	SUPLC Crisp packets CUTLERY S/C-B wrappers	SUPLC Tinfoil S/C-B wrappers Crisp packets CUTLERY SUP YOGURT
2	Crisp packets Coffee cups P. BAGS PLW SUP YOGURT CUTLERY	Crisp packets SUP SUPLC Paper CUTLERY	SUP Crisp packets PLW YOGURT SUPLC Tinfoil P. BAG	SUPLC YOGURT Crisp packets Cartons S/C-B wrappers Coffee cups Tinfoil CUTLERY	Tinfoil SUP SUPLC Cartons P.BAGS S/C-B wrappers Crisp packets
3	SUP SUPLC PLW Crisp packets S/C-B wrappers CUTLERY	Paper PLW YOGURT P. BAGS S/C-B wrappers CUTLERY	Coffee cup Pringles can Tinfoil Crisp packets S/C-B wrappers CUTLERY	Cartons P. BAGS SUPLC CUTLERY S/C-B wrappers SUP	SUP Carton Tinfoil Cans PLW CUTLERY SUPLC
4	SUPLC CUTLERY S/C-B wrappers Cans P. BAGS	Paper S/C-B wrappers SUPLC CUTLERY	Tinfoil PLW P. BAGS Cartons SUPLC S/C-B wrappers SUP	YOGURT Tinfoil S/C-B wrappers	Paper SUP SUPLC Crisp packets Tinfoil YOGURT Coffee cups
5	SUP Cartons S/C-B wrappers YOGURT	PLW Cardboard Crisp packets S/C-B wrappers SUP SUPLC	Tinfoil Crisp packets PLW CUTLERY	P. BAGS CUTLERY Coffee cups SUPLC Cartons YOGURT SUP	Tinfoil Crisp packets PLW SUP SUPLC CUTLERY S/C-B wrappers YOGURT
6	SUP S/C-B wrappers Crisp packets P. BAGS Pringles can PLW	YOGURT CUTLERY Cans Tinfoil	Crisp packets PLW S/C-B wrappers SUPLC Tinfoil YOGURT	SUPLC SUP PLW Tinfoil S/C-B wrappers CUTLERY	SUPLC PLW S/C-B wrappers Tinfoil
7	SUPLC S/C-B wrappers Tinfoil Cartons	SUP Tissues Tinfoil Paper Cardboard P. BAGS	SUPLC Coffee cups PLW P. BAGS Tinfoil	P. BAGS Coffee cups Crisp packets	Coffee cup SUPLC SUP PLW P. BAGS Cans S/C-B wrappers
8	Crisp packets P. BAGS Cartons S/C-B wrappers Tinfoil	SUP P. BAGS Tissues Paper Cardboard S/C-B wrappers	PLW Tinfoil P. BAGS Crisp packets SUPLC	Tinfoil PLW P. BAGS S/C-B wrappers CUTLERY	Crisp packets PLW S/C-B wrappers P. BAGS Tinfoil SUPLC

 Abbreviations:

SUP;                      Single-use plastic (Plastic bottles [water, energy drinks etc.])

SUPLC;                    Single-use plastic lunch containers (soup, salad, pasta etc.)

1. BAGS; Plastic bags

YOGURT;                Yogurt pots

CUTLERY;                Plastic cutlery

PLW;                     Paper lunch wrappers

S/C-B wrappers;       Snack/Chocolate bar wrappers

 

Conclusion:

Plastic waste is clearly an endemic problem within our school, which is probably a fair reflection on society as a whole. It was present in every single bin surveyed in our audit. What we found interesting was the different forms that single-use plastic waste came in. The number of plastic bottles was dwarfed by the number of single-use plastic lunch containers, which was further belittled by the mass of plastic knives and forks and plastic bags. We had not realized the extent to which plastic waste was consuming our bins and rubbish containers until now, and we are only beginning to realize the mountain we are going to have to climb in order to eliminate this wasteful culture from our school community. Lots or education and workshops are going to be needed in the coming weeks on the harmful effects that such a substance has on ourselves, or local environment, and our earth.