Zero Waste Week at Truro Central School
​March 18-22, 2019


​Zero Waste Week is a school-driven, week-long campaign to reduce waste in school.  With a focus on reducing land-based waste in order to protect the health of local marine environments, the week is intended to raise school and community awareness of how single-use plastic and other types of litter affect the health of our local watersheds, marine sanctuaries, and ocean. Attention is focused on, but not limited to, reducing single-use plastic items.

These items include: food packaging and wrappers, yogurt containers, straws, plastic bags, plastic utensils, plastic containers, juice boxes and other single-use liquid containers, foil, and plastic wrap.

Throughout the week, we will be thinking about what zero waste means as students begin to notice waste and be thoughtful about the waste they generate.

Trash Tuesday, March 19
Students collected the single-use trash in their classroom snacks and in the cafeteria at lunch.

Wednesday, March 20
Classes will count their single-use trash items from Tuesday and talk about ways to reduce or eliminate these items from their snacks and lunches.

Friday, March 22 is the ZERO WASTE FRIDAY CHALLENGE!
On this day, try to reduce or even better yet, eliminate, single-use items from your snack and lunch.  This website has some great ideas on what a waste free lunch is and how you can do it!  
Our week of mindfulness will culminate with the 3rd Annual School Garden Fundraiser Pasta Party where our goal is Zero Waste as well. If you attend, you will see us using plates collected from local swap shops and donations, reusable silverware, and cups, compostable napkins, a compost station and more!

Thinking about single-use plastic in Science Class

Learn about the Albatross
.As a way to think about the impact of single-use plastic on the environment, students in grades 1-6 will be studying the Laysan Albatross and the Black Footed Albatross--two species of seabird that live and breed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (on and around Midway Atoll)  and encounter the effects of plastic and other human generated trash in a way that is able to be measured by scientists. 

Albatross chicks are fed by their parents through regurgitation. The parents spend time far out to sea, fishing for prey which naturally includes squid and fish eggs. Unfortunately, their large, gaping mouths, adaptations for this type of hunting, also scoop up marine debris that is floating in the water as they try for squid. Fish sometimes lay their eggs on floating plastics when normally this would be done on seaweed; and albatross eat the plastic right along with the eggs. Back on land, the parents unknowingly feed their chicks not only the nutritious squid, fish, and oils but also the plastic and trash they may have ingested while hunting.

Just before the albatross chick fledges, it naturally regurgitates a bolus, or pellet (similar to an owl pellet), containing the indigestible material in its gizzard. Scientists are able to collect the bolus and study its contents to track the effects of marine debris on the birds.  

We will use a modified version of the Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Literacy Through the Eyes of Albatross curriculum. All students will be introduced to this magnificent bird, its habitat, adaptations, life cycle, and plight. Students in Grade 1 will be try to identify through photographs, some of the items found in albatross bolus.  Students in Grade 2 will "dissect" a "Fauxbatross Bolus" made by Ms. Klimkosky from recycled newspaper and real marine debris collected from Cape Cod beaches. Students in Grades 3 - 6 will use modified versions of the Winged Ambassadors Virtual Bolus Dissection lesson to count, record, and analyze real scientific data.

​Through these hands on activities as well as discussions in class and at lunchtime, it is our hope that students, staff and community members will be more mindful of the choices they make regarding single-use items in their lives.