Be a Paper and Packaging Detective!

Transcription

1 PATCH Be a Paper and Packaging Detective! Did you know that there are paper products all around you? Paper is part of your life every day - from the books you read to the tissue you might need if you have a runny nose. Paper is a great material because it is renewable and recyclable. New products can be made from old paper and we keep on growing trees to make more of it. This patch program is for Juniors and Cadettes. Under each section, Juniors need to complete at least 2 activities and Cadettes need to complete at least 3 activities.

2 Let s see how many times you can find paper in your everyday life. 1. Make a list of all the different paper products that you can think of. Consider different rooms in the house as well as paper you use for school and hobbies. 2. Now find the paper products in your surroundings. Look in the mailbox and explore the kitchen cabinets. How many of these products have some sort of environmental logo (like a recycling symbol or a green tree on it)? How many different types of labels can you find? If you find a logo you don t understand, do some research! (Keep a lookout for SFI and FSC do you know what these logos mean?) 3. Now find packaging in your surroundings. Look in your kitchen, closet, bathroom for soup cans, shoe boxes, etc. Make a poster with images of the different packages and be sure to include a plastic pouch, a metal can and a paper based juice box (also known as an aseptic package). 4. Gather your friends or family members. Discuss which packaging is best and why. Consider convenience/performance as well as environmental attributes. Want to learn more? You might also be wearing trees! In addition to paper products, trees can also be made into textiles for clothing and other products like baby wipes or towels. The most common names for tree based textiles are viscose and rayon. Consider taking a label hunt through your closet, a thrift store, or a new clothing store and see if you can find viscose or rayon on the label. You might even be eating trees! Check out food labels and look for cellulose on the list of ingredients. Cellulose is commonly used as a thickening agent or sometimes to keep things from sticking together. And this cellulose might also come from a tree! Some examples of where you might find cellulose include: grated cheese, yogurt, salad dressing, ice cream, granola bars, sour cream, cereal and frozen waffles.

3 Become a Tree Expert! Learn where paper comes from and what sustainable forestry means. 1. Take a walk around your neighborhood, and see if you can identify and count the different types of trees in your area. 2. Reach out to a paper company or a printing plant and ask them for a tour or a papermaking demonstration. 3. Find a forester. Reach out and ask for a lecture with your troop or school class on how foresters work with landowners to manage land for future generations. (Visit maine.gov/dacf/mfs/archive/woodswise/consulting.html or naylor/affr/affr0018/index.php?startid=26#/58.). 4. Perform a skit. Each person should represent a role in the life cycle of paper. Roles may include: Tree farmer, logger, paper company, converter, retailer, consumer, recycler. 5. Find a pen pal and share your thoughts about paper on paper. You and your pen pal should exchange at least two letters or post cards each.

4 Become a Waste Reduction Guru! 1. Find out which paper products are recyclable in your home town. Are there any that aren t? And if so, why not? Most towns have a website related to waste management and recycling or visit earth911.com to see what stores will accept your recyclables. 2. Brainstorm. How can we use less paper without using more of something else? Consider the following examples: a. Paper towels b. Grocery bags c. Paper cups d. Printer/copy paper e. Toilet paper 3. Monitor your family s paper towel usage for a week. How many paper towels got used? Who uses the most and how can you use less? 4. Interview a grown up. a. Ask them if they know anyone in the paper industry or related industries (like forestry or recycling). If so, learn what that job is like. b. Ask them what they think about recycling now vs. what it was like when they were a little kid. Is it the same or different? Take Action to Improve the 3 R s of Waste Reduction Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 1. Find a package that doesn t have a please recycle message on it, contact the company and ask them to consider adding a logo. Many packages will have a toll free telephone number, , or mailing address. 2. Improve your recycling at home. Are you recycling paper at home? If not, get started. If you are, figure out what you can do better. 3. Trash to Treasure: How can we take household recyclables and put them to better use? Ideas: Make a pad of paper out of scratch paper. Can you reuse your homework, or other sources to make a note pad? Make a robot out of recyclables! 4. Design a better package. a. Select an item that you think is over-packaged and could use less materials. Explain what you would do differently. b. Select an item that is currently packaged in plastic and think about how you would put the same thing in paper? Thank you to Sappi, Troop 2070, and Troop 574 for working to create and pilot this patch.

5 Paper Scientist Evaluation Leader s Name or Girl s Name (if a Juliette) Troop # Age Level Total number of girls who participated City/Town State How did the girls benefit from completing this patch program? What was the highlight of participating in this project? What did you (the girls) do to Take Action? Additional Comments: Please enclose any pictures or stories you might like to share. Please be sure to enclose photo releases for each girl or be sure they have one on file. Also include names of the girls in the pictures. Return this evaluation to a GSME retail shop or to customercare@gsmaine.org