Chemistry of Single-Use Materials With all the environmental crises facing us today, there is a need to focus on the things we can control in our everyday lives. Eleventh-grade Chemistry students are wrapping up their study of the life cycle of disposable materials in the U.S. They will exhibit their “Chemistry of Single-Use Materials” project on Thursday, January 23 from 5-7 pm in the Animas High School Commons.
The juniors have dug into how our materials are produced, used, and disposed of within our local community. The exhibition will be formatted in a grid with life stages on one axis and materials on the other, allowing audience members to engage with an in-depth exploration of the life cycle of single-use materials. Students studied how chemical bonding results in the properties of materials. They are collaborating with their peers to create original projects that explore the life cycle of these materials. Some students have chosen to use the project to address a problem or a need and come up with possible solutions. Junior Mason Zufelt expressed his interest in the potential for his project. His goal is to create custom reusable water bottles with plastic that would otherwise end up in a landfill. He is optimistic about the possibilities, stating “I think that the business opportunities in this field are huge.” He plans to work with project partner Anthony Ensor to turn their work into a business later. Chemistry teacher Steve Smith shared, “The goal of this project is to have students apply principles of chemistry and recognize how it is relevant to their own lives in an area where they can actually make changes. I want students to examine their use of single-use materials and the impact of their decisions to re-use them, recycle them, or throw them away.” The juniors invite you to join them next Thursday to discuss their realizations and examine your own disposal habits. |
By Kian Edmonson
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