Contemplating Plastic: Outlining Strategies
In the realm of education, several resources are available to help tackle the complex issue of plastic pollution. The Technology Innovation Centre (TKI) offers a resource on the action competence learning process, providing a framework for students to understand and address the wicked problem of plastic waste.
New Zealand science organisations, such as the Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, have created resources to help rethink plastic. These resources are designed to integrate plastic-related topics into the New Zealand Curriculum, covering aspects like properties and changes of matter, and chemistry and society.
The curriculum expects students to group materials based on their chemical and physical properties and find out about the uses of common materials, relating these to their observed properties. Citizen science projects, such as litter surveys, offer opportunities for students to gather and interpret data about plastic use.
The use of plastics can serve as a real-life context for teaching students various skills, including problem-solving, decision-making, and taking action. Students can explore concepts such as recycling, microplastics, ecological systems, food webs, alternatives to plastics, and improved recycling technologies.
Resources like the Hub are organised into key science and teaching concepts for easy navigation, making it easier for teachers to plan context-based learning experiences that combine conceptual understanding and capabilities development.
In the automotive industry, companies like Nissan are making strides in reducing plastic waste. Approximately 25% of the Nissan Leaf is manufactured using recycled materials, with recycled plastics used in the vehicle's door panels, dashboard, and seats.
Outside the classroom, ways to address plastic pollution include incorporating environmental education that raises plastic pollution awareness, promoting hands-on projects like ecobrick workshops, and engaging youth-led community initiatives. In schools, curricula such as the "Plastic Pollution and You" 15-lesson program and the Plastic Clever Schools program encourage reducing single-use plastics and foster pro-environmental behavior.
Practical activities like beach clean-ups, plastic interception points, and campaigns targeting the biggest plastic polluters (cups, straws, bottles, bags) enhance engagement. In everyday life, adopting the principles of avoiding, intercepting, and redesigning plastic use—as taught in programs like Parley AIR—helps reduce reliance on plastics.
These educational and community efforts have been shown to reduce plastic waste significantly and promote long-term behavioral change. For instance, environmental education integrated early (within the first nine years of schooling) and practical projects, such as creating ecobricks, raise awareness and motivation among students to reduce plastic waste. Public awareness campaigns with interactive workshops, plastic footprint disclosures, and incentives can further encourage reduction of plastic use.
In the quest for sustainable alternatives, the Biopolymer Network and Barnes Plastics have developed a potential solution to the wicked problem of plastic use called ZealaFoamTM, a sustainable alternative to polystyrene. Resources like the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "Plastics in the environment - understanding plastic waste in Aotearoa" contain useful infographics and reports about the country's plastics problems.
[1] Reference for the effectiveness of educational and community efforts in reducing plastic waste. [2] Reference for the benefits of early environmental education and practical projects. [3] Reference for the impact of public awareness campaigns and incentives. [4] Reference for the combination of formal education, community engagement, and individual action in tackling plastic pollution.
Engaging students in environmental-science education can help foster a better understanding of the wicked problem of plastic waste and encourage pro-environmental behavior. Resources such as the Hub, "Plastic Pollution and You" program, and the Plastic Clever Schools program offer a comprehensive approach, integrating plastic-related topics into the curriculum and providing practical activities like beach clean-ups and ecobrick workshops.
The integration of early environmental education (within the first nine years of schooling) and practical projects, like creating ecobricks, can raise awareness and motivate students to reduce their reliance on plastics. Public awareness campaigns with interactive workshops, plastic footprint disclosures, and incentives can further encourage reduction of plastic use, as demonstrated by the effectiveness of these educational and community efforts in reducing plastic waste significantly.
