Your Slice of the Landfill Pie

Teacher Resources - Environmental School Activities and Curriculum

Most adults create about five pounds of garbage each day and most children (under 12) create about four pounds each day. Complete the calculations below to determine how much space you will need at the landfill for your family’s trash for one year.

Have students determine the number of pounds (lbs.) of garbage their family generates in one
year.

Number of adults in family____ X 5 lbs. = _____lbs. per day/ adult.

Number of children in your family _____ X 4 lbs. = _____lbs. per day/child.

Adults lbs. _____ + _____ children lbs. = _____family lbs. per day.

Family lbs. per day _____X 365 days a year = _____family lbs. per year.

Calculate how much space will be required at the landfill for a year’s worth of your family’s trash.
(Each 1,000 lbs. of material requires one cubic yard of space at the landfill.)

Family lbs. per year _____ divided by 1,000 lbs.= _____ cubic yards per year.

Calculate how much space will be required for a year’s worth of garbage from all of the families in
the class.