My Plate
Design a healthy plate using the five food groups.
KITCHEN WASTE ANALYSIS: CONSEQUENCES OF FOOD SYSTEMS
Look through a virtual kitchen trash can and improve your real home’s discarding methods.
About the Activity
Get ready to get gross – but not literally. In this activity, kids will sort through a virtual kitchen trash can to learn how to properly sort waste. They’ll also see how proper food disposal, good planning, and a good waste management system can also save money and reduce environmental impact.
Grades: 7-10
Topic: Food Systems, Civic Engagement
Estimated Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour
Brought to you by New York State 4-H and Cornell Cooperative Extension
Supplies
The only supply you need for this activity is the interactive content on this page!
Activity Steps
Use this interactive activity to learn about what food products you consume, and what happens to what’s left over when you’re done.
Reflection Questions
Bonus questions after sorting through your kitchen trash
- How can we help apply what we learned to reducing food waste in our community?
- What are the reasons that you throw away food? How can you reduce food waste in your own home?
- What will the future be like if a large amount of food and food packaging continues to be wasted?
Investigate and Explore
Take what you've learned to the next level to learn more and explore the possibilities.
Now that you’ve gone through your own trash and seen items that can be reused, recycled, or composted instead of thrown directly into the trash, keep that same perspective in mind when you see other trash cans – on the street, in stores, at restaurants, etc. Do these places encourage people to dispose of their waste properly? Do they only offer trash cans? If you see a store that only offers trash, are you willing to suggest they add a recycling bin?
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