Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Part A: Material investigations

15 minutes

Part B: ARL standards

25 minutes

Part C: Material designer

5 minutes

Reflection

Part A: Material investigations

Step 1

Arrange the clean throwaway items that you and your students have collected over the week.

Students can work together to sort and analyse the products, creating two piles; one for packaging that features the ARL and one for those without it.

If you’ve completed ‘Lesson 3: ARL Audit’, you may already have done this and have images from this lesson you can use.

Step 2

Consider the packaging that does not contain the ARL.

Discuss:

Why?
Are there any similarities between the items in this pile?
Are there any similarities between the items that do have the ARL?
Can you see any differences between the types of items in the two piles?
What are you wondering about some of the items that do not have the ARL? That is, are there any items that students are confused about why they don’t have the ARL, possibly because they seem to be made of exactly the same materials as some items that do have the ARL?

Step 3

As a class, review the PREP fact sheet.

Explain to students that there are a number of considerations that determine whether a piece of packaging is recyclable, such as its size and shape.

There are also a number of things in the packaging design (not the contents of the packaging) that might prevent it from being recycled. For example, material type, size, shape and colour are most likely to affect an item’s recyclability. Some dyes make plastics non-recyclable as well as the inclusion of adhesives (glue) and other inks.

Important: Just because a piece of packaging doesn’t have the ARL doesn’t mean it can’t have the ARL. A piece of packaging might be perfectly recyclable even if the company behind the packaging hasn’t signed up to the program to get the ARL on the pack.

This could be an interesting discussion point for the 'ARL Audit' lesson later in this unit. Are companies interested in having the ARL on their packaging? Are consumers? Why or why not?

Provisions for Learning Extension: You might like to extend students into conducting additional research into the recyclability of certain materials and reporting back to the class. This website is a good place to start.

Part B: ARL standards

Step 1

As a class discuss what is meant by this prompt:

‘Whenever there is packaging there is a purpose.’

You might like to write this on the board to make it visible to students.

Lead students to the understanding that there is always a reason packaging is designed the way it is. Students should be able to give you some examples, such as why a bottle is made of plastic or glass rather than paper.

However, some of these reasons might be more justifiable than others, as we’re going to explore.

Step 2

Show students this image of beverage cartons:

Explain to students that the gable-top carton is made of three layers: plastic (polyethylene), cardboard and then another layer of plastic.

The aseptic brick contains an extra layer of alfoil.

Step 3

Discuss the purpose behind this packaging. What are the benefits of this packaging?

Suggestions might include:

The packaging is lightweight, making it easier for both a consumer to carry and a company to transport.
- Why might transport be an environmental consideration? The heavier something is, the more fossil fuels will have to be used to move it around.
Aseptic brick cartons fully seal the contents, so they do not need to be refrigerated before opening. These are also known as ‘long-life cartons’. This results in energy savings during storage and transport – they do not have to be kept cool while moving around and they can be stored for ages without going off, which means the packaging is effective and the contents are not wasted.
These extra layers, especially the foil one, improve the shelf life of the liquid inside and help to retain flavours and nutrients.
However, not all councils collect this kind of packaging for recycling, as all the components that help with preserving the contents and avoid food waste make it trickier to recycle. Reinforce to students that a balance has to be struck between food preservation and environmental considerations.
This packaging can be recycled back into paper products, but at the moment only in overseas processing plants. This is another consideration for Australian brands using this packaging and Australian consumers purchasing it, as it increases the environmental impact of this packaging to have it shipped overseas for processing.

Communicate to students that we shouldn’t have to work too hard to recycle something, otherwise people won’t bother and will just toss it in landfill or worse.

Step 4

Now ask students to assess these images:

This is the packaging used to carry biscuits – you have a cardboard box, a tray that holds the cookies and a plastic bag that wraps them.

Discuss:

What is the purpose behind this packaging?
Do we really need this packaging?
Why are these components made from different materials? Could there be an alternative?

In this case the plastic tray is used to hold cookies. Unlike cardboard, it will not soak any of the fat and sugar from the cookies, and by having the cookies laid this way, they will not break and crumble. The cardboard box also protects the cookies during transportation and when stacked on shelves. The plastic bag that protects the cookies keeps them fresh and prevents them from getting stale.

However, it could be possible to redesign the cardboard box to be the exact width of the biscuits so that they don't move around in their plastic bag inside. That way you don't need the tray at all!

Sometimes it’s not just about swapping materials in your packaging, as they serve a purpose, but also about rethinking the way they are designed.

Step 6

It’s worth mentioning to students that there are a lot of rules around food packaging – because it’s something we’re consuming and therefore has to be safe – which can make it difficult to design packaging that meets these needs.

Plastic is good at meeting these needs, which is why it’s so often used. However, it’s not always the best option for the environment or from a sustainability perspective.

This is a real-world challenge for packaging designers, so express to students that the answers aren’t always easy. Packaging is necessary, especially when it comes to food. But at the same time we need to consider how our choices as consumers around packaging can impact the environment.

Encourage students to consider how convenient and necessary packaging is and whether we can make alternative choices. We can choose brands that do not contain so much packaging, or we could choose not to encourage supermarkets to sell avocados in plastic pouches in the middle of winter simply by resisting purchasing them until they’re back in season.

Step 7

Finally, show students this image:

Discuss:

What is the purpose of this item?
Do we really need this item?
Do we need multiples of this item in every new tub of laundry powder?

Though convenient for measuring the exact amount of laundry powder we need in a wash, ask students to consider whether it’s wasteful of a finite resource (plastic) to create thousands of these scoops.

Step 8

Explain to students that there’s a reason we see so many things made of plastic: overall, it’s a very useful, flexible (in terms of its adaptability) and convenient material.

However, as these examples show, we need to consider whether we’re taking too much advantage of plastic’s convenience. Remind students that it is a finite resource.

Encourage students to think: is the material the problem or is it how we manage it?

When we make something, we need original materials – for example, we need fabric to make clothes; ingredients to make a cake, etc. When we use something but don’t use it over and over again it can become lost to the system, ending up in landfill or the environment.

We want to make sure we keep using the materials again and again to be sustainable and keep those materials for use in other, new things for years to come.

As consumers, if we are going to make a purchase, let’s make sure it can be recycled!

Remember: recycling, while great, shouldn’t be our first option! It’s better to try not to use these finite resources in the first place (reduce), or to find a way to get the most out of these items (re-use). Refer back to the lesson 'Reduce and Re-use' for more information on sustainable consumerism.

Part C: Material designer

Step 1

Explain to students that in this activity they will assume the role of a material designer. They will be required to select one item from the collection of packaging in Part A that is not recyclable and rethink elements of its design so that it is more recyclable.

Remind students that there is a purpose and reason behind the manufacturers choosing the material they use in their packaging. Packaging is a necessary and useful part of our lives, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives that use less material, are designed in more useful shapes and sizes or are more recyclable in other ways.

Step 2

Independently students complete two T-charts.

One should list the benefits and challenges of a paper tray for packaging materials, such as in the biscuit box above.

The second should list the benefits and challenges of a plastic tray.

Students should complete the two lists simultaneously, as many of the challenges of one are resolved by the challenges of the other.

For example:

PAPER TRAY
Benefits	Challenges
Lightweight.	Not very durable/can tear.
Definitely recyclable.	Not waterproof.

PLASTIC TRAY
Benefits	Challenges
Lightweight.	May not be recyclable, depending on how they are made.
Waterproof.	If lost into the environment, is very dangerous for animals.

Step 2

As a class discuss students’ charts. Students might add to their own charts based on the suggestions of other students.

Reinforce to students that there are many different considerations that go into choosing materials, only one of which is the recyclability of the product.

Sometimes material designers need to make tough choices on packaging in order to meet competing needs.

Step 3

Before beginning this task you may want to work together as a class to develop a set of criteria for the students’ redesigns.

Success criteria could include:

How sustainable is the packaging?
How costly is the packaging to manufacture?
How difficult is the packaging to manufacture?
How difficult is the packaging to transport?
How well does the new packaging meet the original purpose?

Remember, the packaging still needs to be functional, even as we are trying to make it more environmentally friendly. Otherwise consumers and brands are unlikely to take it up.

Keep a record of these criteria for students to refer to throughout the process and use them to evaluate their efforts at the end of the lesson.

Step 4

Students select one item from the collection of packaging in Part A that is not recyclable. It may carry the non-recyclable ARL or it may not carry the ARL at all.

The Australasian Recycling Labels with text to explain their meaning

Students must find a way to meet the needs of the packaging (durability, flexible, shape, food-safe standard) in a way that also meets the 2025 goal of all packaging in Australia being either recyclable, re-usable or compostable.

Step 5

Refer students back to the PREP fact sheet. Students may also have to conduct some additional research into why the packaging has not met the ARL standards.

For some packaging there may be a simple solution, such as not dying the plastic used so that it is recyclable.

For other packaging the solution may not be as simple. It may have been developed as well as it could have been and be fit for purpose. In this case students have two options:

Redesign part of the packaging. There may be parts of the packaging that could be more sustainably made even if the majority of the packaging has to remain the way it is. For example, the plastic caps on bottles may be too small to be recycled due to the way they fall through the screens of the sorting machinery at the recycling facility. Students could redesign the packaging so that the cap can stay attached to the main item.
Rethink the delivery method or the use of the item. For example, instead of lots of small non-recyclable items, is there a way to increase the size or re-usability of the packaging to make it more environmentally friendly? One suggestion might be increasing the size of fruit boxes to two litres or making them of a stronger material so that consumers are encouraged to re-use them. Encourage students to think about the necessity of this type of packaging specifically. Could it be redesigned in such a way that consumers can re-use the packaging or even avoid using packaging in the first place? Refer back to the previous lesson in this unit, 'Reduce and Re-use', to recap what you learnt about the waste hierarchy.

Step 8

Students draw an image of their new packaging design and write a short paragraph explaining the design.

Reflection and key takeaway

Ask students to write a short (one page) explanation exploring their thoughts and change in perspective brought about by this lesson.

This letter should:

explain students’ understanding of the complicated nature of designing packaging fit for purpose;
reflect on how we use (and misuse) packaging;
consider how to encourage brands to rethink their packaging in a way that is more sustainable; and
explore how to encourage consumers (especially their parents) to rethink their purchasing of packaging to encourage more sustainable packaging designs.

Encourage students to write with an empathetic and explanatory tone aimed at an audience that may not understand the nuances of packaging design.

Students should add this reflection to their advocacy pack.

Reflect with students that packaging plays a key role in our everyday lives and serves a purpose but requires a lot of resources to make. We can reduce the resources used to make packaging if we understand how to correctly recycle and turn this understanding into action.

Where to next?

Check out this awesome hands-on design and science lesson, 'Design and build a Materials Recovery Facility', where students will think creatively about how recyclable materials are sorted by material type for recycling.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

ARL - Rethinking Packaging

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