Money for cans
Purpose
Aluminium beverage can recycling is simple, efficient and can make money for little effort. This is a simple mathematics activity which could be used to stimulate interest in a school aluminium beverage can recycling program. For it to work well, a large number of aluminium beverage cans is required (there are over 60 cans to the kg) so ask students to start saving them well before you intend to do the investigation. It may be necessary to adjust the goal mass down to 1/2 kg or less according to the number of cans you have.
The level of mathematics in the activity can be varied to suit the group. Lower primary groups could centre on counting, middle to upper primary on measuring, upper primary to secondary on collecting and analysing data.
Activity
Divide students into two groups.
Group 1: What is the average mass of a can?
Provide students with a collection of aluminium beverage cans and a beam balance. Students weigh a number of cans, record their results and calculate the average mass of a can.
Group 2: How many cans per kg?
Provide students with a collection of cans, a 1 kg spring balance and a garbage bag. Students should count the number of cans it takes to weigh 1 kg.
Each group could work out some other simple statistics: mode, median, standard deviation, range (appropriate to maths level).
Compare the answers from Group 1 and Group 2.
Students could then find out:
- How much is the local aluminium can recycler paying per kg for aluminium beverage cans this week?
- How many cans do you use in a week?
- How many cans does your family use in a week?
- How many cans does the school canteen sell in a week?
Calculate:
- How much is one can worth?
- How much money could you, your family or the school make in a year by recycling aluminium beverage cans?
Teacher note: One can is worth about 1 cent, so a school of 300 with each student collecting 2 cans a week can earn $24 per month.
Discussion
Discuss the value to the community of recycling. Make sure you cover benefits such as reduction in the use of raw materials and energy in processing as well as 'cash back' benefits from aluminium beverage can recycling.
For secondary students
Prepare a spreadsheet for a school recycling program. Alter the variables such as number of cans collected by each student, number of students involved, price per kg of aluminium, etc. Discuss the effects.
School stuff activities: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Quiz
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