Ohio Virtual Tour: Landfill
The Edible Landfill

Overview
Students create an edible landfill. Each layer of the landfill corresponds to a layer of a sanitary landfill. Students note the role of each layer of the landfill and see the comparison with the edible landfill. They also enjoy the tasty fruits of their labor at the end of class.

Outcome
Students will learn how a landfill is built.

Materials

• Square or rectangular dishes with 2" sides

• Graham crackers (crushed)

• Vanilla wafers (crushed)

• Fruit leathers (such as Fruit Roll-ups)

• Licorice (red or black)

• Vanilla pudding (pudding snack packs)

• Chocolate pudding (pudding snack packs)

• Coconut (dye with green food color)

• M&Ms (represent waste)

• Chocolate chips (represent waste)

• Oreo cookies (represent dirt)

• Marshmallows (represent plastic waste)

• Raisins (represent waste)

• Large serving spoon

• Paper plates

• Spoon for each student

• Typical Anatomy of a Landfill handout

• The Edible Landfill student handout

Procedure

1. Have the students discuss what happens to garbage in the school and in the neighborhood. Ask if they know what happens after the garbage is carried away. Discuss packaging of everyday products.

2. Distribute copies of the Typical Anatomy of a Landfill handout and review it.

3. Explain to the students that they will be creating an edible landfill. The layers of the edible landfill will represent the layers of a real landfill.

4. Before proceeding, determine if this lesson might affect any students who have food allergies.

5. Divide the students into groups. Give each group a clear dish.

6. Have the students spread a layer of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the dish. This represents the clay liner that prevents liquids (or leachate) from seeping through to the groundwater.

7. The next layer is fruit leathers, which represents the plastic liner. The plastic liner creates a barrier and prevents any liquid or trash from touching the ground.

8. Have the students place licorice horizontally on top of the fruit leathers to represent the leachate collection system.

9. The next layer is crushed vanilla wafers, which represent the sand and gravel layers.

10. A thin layer of the vanilla pudding topped with M&Ms, chocolate chips and raisins completes the first layer of solid waste.

11. A thin layer of chocolate pudding represents the soil used to cover the waste daily.

12. Have the students repeat alternating layers of vanilla and chocolate pudding, ending with a top layer of chocolate pudding.

13. Finally, they can sprinkle green coconut over the top of the chocolate pudding. This represents grass planted to prevent erosion.

14. The edible landfills may be chilled or eaten immediately.

15. Extension: If multiple dishes were used, compare the differences in area and perimeter. Have students calculate the volume of the edible landfill. Have students calculate the volume of each layer of the landfill.

Evaluation