Informal

This concluding section of the Trash Shouldn't Splash Toolkit highlights the project team's lessons learned and tips for groups interested in organizing their own marine debris prevention group in their community.

These materials can support student groups who are interested in reaching out to their school communities, including organizing art contests and visiting peer classrooms with marine debris education presentations. 

These materials can support student groups doing informal outreach, including tabling events, as well as reaching out to local decision-makers on topics to prevent marine debris. 

These materials can support student groups in reaching out to restaurants to collaborate on efforts to prevent marine debris by reducing single-use plastics. Materials include a script for engaging with restaruant staff, tips on how to effectively recruit restaurant partners, and examples of products and outreach materials to share with restaurant partners.

The Communication Materials can support student groups in creating and designing a flexible outreach campaign for reducing single-use plastics in their community, including a logo, website, and social media materials. 

Through these activities and lessons, students will explore what it means to be a scientist, break down assumptions and misconceptions about science identities, and ultimately see themselves as scientists in action. 

Repurpose common trash materials through upcycling ‘waste’ plastics into arts and crafts. Students will be able to repurpose common trash materials through upcycling ‘waste’ plastics into arts and crafts.

Motivate people in your community to help solve the marine debris issue by creating your own behavior change campaign. Students will be able to use behavioral insights and communication strategies to motivate people to help solve the marine debris issue in their community. 

Upcycle plastic bags that would thrown out while creating art and learn about the properties of materials. Students will be able to identify the benefits and consequences of plastic properties and functions. Students will explore how to alter and upcycle waste plastics into new repurposed items with value as a solution to the plastic pollution problem.

Understand where, how much and what kinds of debris are present in your environment using this activity that introduces the Urban Trash Monitoring Protocol.

Explore the properties of plastic trash and see how they behave in the marine environment. Students will be able to describe that different types of plastics float, sink, or stay neutrally buoyant once they enter the ocean. Students will be able to begin to make connections between where a marine organism lives and feeds and their likelihood of debris exposure.

Assess the contents of your trash to see the types and amounts of waste we generate, and how much is misplaced, which prevents proper disposal. Students will be able to conduct a trash audit to understand the types of items being thrown away in your area and determine ways to create less waste.

Become familiar with Google Earth while learning how trash makes its way from our streets to nearby waterways. Students will be able to understand the concept of using remote sensing capabilities to gather useful information.