LESSON PLANS AVAILABLE TO EDUCATORS

SECCRA is proud to announce the availability of free lesson plans, which discuss responsible waste management and recycling.

These lesson plans have been compiled by the Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority (SECCRA) with the help of a local science educator, in order to foster an attitude of responsible waste management, in the people that it will influence the most:  schoolchildren. 

The lessons can help educators meet some of the environmental and ecological standards set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).  The appropriate PDE objectives that these lessons meet are noted at the beginning of each plan.  In addition to the lesson plans themselves, SECCRA is ready to offer in class presentations, and field trips to the SECCRA landfill to enhance the student experience. 

Studies have shown that school-age children are more likely to change their “waste ways” than adults. Therefore, these messages are tailored to them.  Most of the trash generated in SECCRA’s service area (southern Chester County) comes to the SECCRA Community Landfill.  However, landfill space is not unlimited, and eventually it will fill up.  SECCRA is undertaking efforts to continue to provide necessary capacity, but reducing waste volumes makes it easier for all of us to deal with the remaining waste that must be managed.

The principles of “reduce, reuse and recycle,” are crucial to avoid a potential waste crisis some time in the future.  If our local waste disposal facilities fill up, and the only places for trash to go are further and further away from our homes, costs will increase.  As a result, it is likely that some people will resort to illegal dumping and burning to take care of their waste disposal needs, rather than do the right thing.  Even small amounts of illegally disposed waste can do much greater environmental harm than a properly managed local landfill facility.

These lesson plans teach the children that their waste has to go somewhere; that it is everyone's responsibility to reduce, reuse and recycle more, and that there are environmentally responsible ways to manage and dispose of the remaining trash we all generate.

To obtain a copy, please call the SECCRA office, or e-mail lessonplans @ seccra.org, with your name, mailing address, and school.