Plastic – Fantastic?

Chemistry Week 2021

With the help of an RSC outreach grant, Lesmahagow High School conducted a week of lessons for S1 and S2 themed on climate change for Chemistry Week 2021.

By Irene Nicol

The chemistry element of the week focussed on difficulties with the disposal of expanded polystyrene, including the space it currently occupies in landfill sites throughout the UK.

Pupils were encouraged to find out about local recycling and re-use policies and to consider creative ways to solve the current problems with polystyrene disposal. However, we felt the best way to bring home the issues was to attempt some recycling, waste volume reduction and re-use ourselves! The resources purchased via our RSC Chemistry Week grant permitted this. The investigative element included a practical task to compare propanone with limonene as a solvent for the disposal or re-moulding of polystyrene coffee cups.

Pupils and staff alike came up with a range of ideas for the re-use of the plastic medallions produced – including fridge magnets, badges and giant tiddly winks! Picture: © Lesmahagow High School
14 polystyrene cups took up less space than a 100ml beaker after treatment. Pupils found the volume reduction (and the plastic gloop they had to remould!) fascinating. Picture: © Lesmahagow High School
As a reflection on what we had learned about protecting our planet in our COP 26 lessons, the school community made a ‘promise to the planet’, wrote them on a leaf and pinned them to our tree of promises. Picture: © Lesmahagow High School

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