Water Bottles and trash

The classroom is a factory of trash. I am amazed at the amount of plastic wrappers, scratch papers etc, that my class produce. I have 45 pupils which goes to class bringing only their bags yet when it was time to go home the trash they have accumulated could fill two 20-gallon trash bins. 

I am sure this problem is not limited to my classroom, in fact this is a planet wide problem and the ecological disasters brought about by plastic is too widespread and well known that it needs no explaining.

The school participated in the eco-brick project. I don't know who sponsored this activity, the municipal government or the department, but it was an outstanding idea started by environmentalist, upcycling, a fancy word for recycling. 

 I was not that enthusiastic about it because, yeah, call me the skeptic.

Anyway, I asked my pupils to bring plastic bottles. Many brought 5-10 liters gallon which was too big for the project intended for the eco-bricks in the school. So, I was stuck with lots of them. I brought home some for my urban gardening project which I hope I get to accomplish this sembreak.

I used one of them and I found out that one 5 liter water bottle could contain an entire week's trash. But I had to make some modifications. I attached a funnel, made from the cut out upper part of the bottle, and inserted it into the mouth of the bottle. This made it easier for the pupil's to insert plastic wrappers.

The funnel was so useful that even dust and other trash too small be picked up only by the dust pan could be put inside the bottle.

I cut a 1/2 pvc pipe as a trash compactor.

This is one weeks trash compacted into a five liter bottle.

Wjhat is the use of these 5-gallon eco-bricks?

Throw them at misbehaving pupils.

I plan to make plant stand for my bonsai and I'm going to use them as filler.