ARL - ARL Audit

Government and industry have the goal of having 100 percent recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging by 2025. How far are we from this goal? Is current packaging environmentally friendly in this way or far from it? And if it is, is the community aware enough of the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) to properly recycle this packaging?

In this lesson, students will undertake real-world learning as they seek the answers to these questions to advocate effectively for these positive changes.

Students will first sort common recycled products, identifying those that carry the ARL and considering how far companies currently are from the 2025 target of all packaging being recyclable, re-usable or compostable. Students then administer a survey to collect information about the community’s rubbish disposal practices and knowledge of the ARL. Finally, students use this data to positively influence companies to adopt practices that assist in designing packaging to be recycled and to carry the ARL in order to let consumers know what to do with each item of packaging when they’re at the bin.

The lessons in this unit explore the purpose of the ARL and how to translate this understanding into environmental action. We recommend this lesson be used as part of a sequence of learning within this unit.