Litter Survey- survey an area on a regular basis to see the kind of litter most frequently thrown away, keep charts, use Operation Waste Watch level 4 to get ideas. Click here for a PDF Survey Form.

Mini Landfill- bury common items such as cloth, glass, metal, styrofoam, paper, soap, etc. Dig up several weeks later to see if any have degraded, get a list of degradation times of common items from the Council's office; a good source of information is Operation Waste Watch level 6. Click here for a Mini-Land fill project sheet in PDF format.

Rubber Band- put a rubber band over the back of your hand and around your little finger and thumb, see how long it takes to get it off your hand using no other body part to help, keep records of how long it takes you and your friends

School Wastes- Count the types and number of items disposed of in the school cafeteria, chart the numbers

I-Found Circles- use a string to make a circle on the ground outside, look inside using a magnifying glass to see how many animal homes, living things, colors, temperatures, man-made and natural things you can find, chart what you have found

Oil Spill- pour motor oil into a pan of water and use different substances (sawdust, cotton, straw, paper, etc.) to try to clean out the oil, be sure to try a feather to get an idea of what happens to waterfowl when they are caught in oil spills

Air Pollution- tape cardboard coated with a thin layer of Vaseline to various objects in your neighborhood, check in a few days to see the amount of particles trapped in the Vaseline.

Erosion Study- in two square containers place potting soil, plant grass in one container; once grass is grown, elevate one end of both containers, use a water sprinkler to put water on each, compare the amount of soil washed from each container

Habits-Norms-Litter- use Operation Waste Watch Level 4 individual activity cards (available from the Council) to conduct survey of what is normal about litter

MORE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEAS

Litter Prevention- Collect and compile data on the amount of litter, recyclable items, tires, plastics, etc. littered in a certain area for a period of time. Determine the items that should have been recycled, composted or reused. Develop a technique for relating this information to the public.

Reuse Technology- Discover or invent new products or technology for the reuse of plastics, tires, etc. which would revolutionize the reuse industry. Develop ways to make the reused items economically marketable.

Recycling/Resource Recovery- Study the existing recycling management and technology, then develop more efficient methods or procedures to recycle, to use recyclables, to market recyclables, to save energy, or to create ways which will encourage the public to recycle.

Solid Waste Management/"Waste to Energy" Recovery- Develop an idea related to the issues of litter containment, trash containment and collection, trash disposal, landfills, alternatives to landfills, incineration/conversion to energy, methane gas collection, (monitoring and use), methods to reduce solid waste and new use for trash. Explore the pros and cons of your method and its economic feasibility.

Packaging- Look at a single product type and analyze a variety of packaging. Suggest ways to reduce packaging and how to change the way people look at packaging. Create packaging that produces less waste or can be recycled. Name other ways to use the packaging. Was the packaging necessary? What is the function of packaging-display, protection, marketing, product identification or convenience?

Disposables- Consider the problems of so many disposable items. Why do Americans use so many disposables? Describe alternatives. Look at how Europeans handle garbage. Talk to grandparents about reusing items, in particular what they did during the Depression and World War II.