Ask students to compile a list of common packaging materials, including cardboard, paper, Styrofoam, bubble wrap and tape. Have students hypothesize which materials are most and least biodegradable. Gather 2-inch square samples of each packaging material. Fill a 66-quart clear plastic under-bed storage tub with soil and bury the packaging materials below the surface. Water the soil daily and retrieve the samples every two weeks to observe materials and measure sample dimensions.
From natural substances design a practical alternative to packaging materials that are not environment friendly. Test three common starches, such as potato and corn, in a mixture combining two parts water with one part glycerin and one part starch and vinegar. Place on the stove or a hot plate and heat on low until the mixture begins to thicken. Add 1 tbsp. baking soda for every 1 cup of starch-water-glycerin mix and increase heat for 10 minutes. Pour into molds and bake four hours at 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Bury all three samples in soil, and unearth them once a week. Test factors of biodegradation, including surface area, weight and bacteria count, to determine which starch produces the most biodegradable packaging material.
Students interested in safe food transport that is ecologically sound can design an experiment to test biodegradable packaging materials that can keep meat at cold temperatures during shipment. Order hydrogel polymer crystals from an educational supplier and gather 2-gallon freezer bags, crushed ice, 2 lbs. frozen hamburger meat, two thermometers and a stopwatch. Place 1 lb. meat in each freezer bag. Pack one bag with crushed ice and close. Pour the crystals into the second bag and fill halfway with water before closing. Shake the second bag gently to distribute water throughout the crystals. Set both bags in the same location and insert thermometers in one end of the bag to record the temperature of each. Check the temperature and record the reading every 15 minutes until both bags reach 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gather a paper grocery sack, plastic grocery bag, a black plastic trash bag and a plastic trash bag that is labeled "biodegradable." Fill each one with 3 lbs. of refuse from your normal household trash accumulation. Avoid meat waste, which could attract animals and destroy your experiment. Use twist ties to close the bags. Dig a trench deep and wide enough to hold all four bags, and line it with black plastic. Bury the bags with dirt and cover the trench with wood and stones to prevent disturbance. Wait six weeks and remove the bags. Observe and record the data, including smell and any visible decomposition to conclude which trash packaging is most environment-friendly.