This week in STEAM club the girls embarked on a plastic challenge. We started off by discussing how much waste each household produced and how much of that waste is actually recyclable. Students were then given eight images of items and asked to put them on a timeline of how long they take to decompose.

A tea bag came in as the quickest to decompose by only taking a month and mobile phones taking as long as 1000 years. We then discussed the options of reducing the amount of waste produced. For example, a refurbished phone is a good alternative to a brand-new mobile phone. 

Over the next two STEAM sessions, the girls will be working on creating their own buntings using recyclable materials. Initially, students were asked to identify the criteria that they wanted their product to meet, e.g. quick to make, can be made using low-tech equipment, etc. They then worked in groups to design their buntings to ensure that it would appeal to their target customers. The girls explored some very interesting designs and are excited to bring their ideas to life.