To illustrate the impact that waste and waste management has on the environment, Sequim High School’s Ecology Club has been conducting a waste audit in phases at the high school campus.

During last week’s data collection phase, students collected trash and recycle from all the offices to sort and weigh in teacher David Ketter’s classroom. Trash and recyclables were separated and sorted into many different buckets, including recyclable paper, non-recyclable plastic, liquid, metals, compostable paper waste, etc.

The contents of each bucket were weighed and the amounts recorded for study. The trash and recyclable matter was then returned to the bins for proper disposal. Once they have collected all the data, the students will begin the problem-solving phase.