Waste? What waste? (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)

Motto: Turning problems into solutions
Many of you will recognize "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" as the motto of the recycling world. The recycling symbol is commonly represented as a Mobius band, which is a wonderful animal from the geometry zoo:
- Mathematical overview
- Mobius band activity for grades 3-4
Composting -- either turning out soil, or as feed, or as gas
- The Story
- Data:
  - Each month, our household fills "one hole" with compostables (and each month we receive back one hole's worth of compost).
    The hole is about a meter in diameter, and about a meter deep.
- Questions: We are a "family of ten" or so.
  - How much compost material does each person generate per month, on average?
  - How much compost are we producing each month? (Is this the same as the last question?)
"Waste" water issues
- Trenches
  - The story
  - to stop soil erosion
  - to grow trees
  - to grow rice, or fish
- "Trash" Windrows to stop water run-off, and to improve soil
- Waste pump water run-off for nursery
- Waste roof water for laundary and watering
- Rain Gardens, especially those made with recycled materials
- Make yourself a rain barrel (here's their handy rain barrel guide).
- When is broken fixed? (The story of Ivy's toilet)
Human wastes:
- Arborloos: turning poop into trees, while fighting disease
  - The Story
  - The shapes
- Dry toilets: the intersection of sanitation and fertilizers
  - The Story

Links:

Selling, Donating and Recycling Old Clothing: Katie's Mom asked to add this link for Katie's "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Patch" as part of the Environmental Stewardship series for her troop. Keep up the good work, Katie!
Angie's List: Yard Waste Removal: Recycling, Donating and Reusing. Angela Thomas asked me to add this for her local horticulture society.
EPA's Recycling resources for educators
Environmental lessons by grade level
What Do You Do with Your Old Furniture?
Wendell Berry introduced 'The concept of "Solving for pattern", coined by Berry in his essay of the same title, is the process of finding solutions that solve multiple problems, while minimizing the creation of new problems. The essay was originally published in the Rodale Press periodical The New Farm. Though Mr. Berry's use of the phrase was in direct reference to agriculture, it has since come to enjoy broader use throughout the design community.' (source)

Website maintained by Andy Long. Comments appreciated.