Chapter Eleven: Environmental Cleanliness
A: Introduc on
In Standard Five, pupils learnt about personal hygiene and behaviours that promote health.
This chapter builds on that founda on by focusing on environmental cleanliness.
Pupils will learn:
The meaning of waste
Sources, types, and effects of waste
How to manage and properly dispose of waste
Why is this important?
Clean surroundings help us avoid diseases, improve quality of life, and protect nature for future
genera ons.
B: The Meaning of Waste
Waste is any substance that is unwanted or that dir es a place.
Words waste and dirt are some mes used to mean the same, but there are differences:
Dirt: Relates to things like the body, clothes, or water. Dirt makes them look bad or smell bad (e.g.,
dirty clothes, smelly body).
Waste: Refers to actual materials we can see, touch, and collect.
Examples of waste:
Broken bo les
Food le overs
Pieces of paper
Fallen leaves
Important note: Waste is more than what looks dirty. It's about how it affects cleanliness and health.
C: Sources of Waste
Waste comes from human ac vi es in different places. Examples include:
1. Homes
o Food remains
o Broken utensils
o Used ns, bo les, and packages
o Torn clothes
o Used water
2. Industries
o Remains of raw materials
o Chemicals, dust, and gas
o Hot water from machines used for cooling
3. Mining Areas
o Mixed chemicals and water forming wastewater
4. Commercial Areas: Wastes from markets, shops, packaging
D: Types of Waste
Waste is grouped based on:
State of Ma er
There are three states of ma er, so waste is grouped as:
1. Solid Waste
o Tins, bo les, broken glass, iron pieces
o Used packaging, papers
2. Liquid Waste
o Wastewater from homes, industries, mines
o Chemicals from labs
o Spilled oil on land/water
3. Gaseous Waste
o Smoke from vehicles, industries, incinerators
o Gases from fridges, manure, and decaying waste
Decomposable and Non-decomposable Waste
1. Decomposable Waste
o Can be broken down by bacteria or fungi
o Turns into simpler materials that join the soil
o Examples: food remains, faeces, paper, plant remains
2. Non-decomposable Waste
o Cannot be broken down by bacteria or fungi
o Stays in the environment for many years
o Examples: plas cs, metal scraps, broken glass
o Harmful because they pollute for a long me
Toxic and Non-toxic Waste
1. Toxic Waste
o Dangerous to living things
o Examples:
Chemicals from school labs, hospitals, industries
Pes cides and fer lizers from farms
2. Non-toxic Waste
o Not harmful directly to living things
o S ll affects the environment nega vely
o Examples: paper, food remains, crop waste
Ac vity 2: Collec on and Separa on of Waste
Materials: Gloves, bins, marker pens, glue, manila paper
Procedure:
Pupils label bins as "DECOMPOSABLE" and "NON-DECOMPOSABLE"
Collect waste from school area
Separate into the two types
Discuss how each waste type can be disposed
E: Effects of Waste
When waste is not well managed, many problems happen:
1. Health Effects
o Decomposable waste a racts insects like flies and mosquitoes
o These insects carry germs → food contamina on → diseases:
Cholera
Typhoid
Dysentery
2. Habitat for Dangerous Creatures
o Waste a racts rats (destroy furniture, clothes, crops)
o Hides poisonous animals like snakes, cen pedes
3. Bad Smell and Discomfort
o Piles of waste smell bad → nausea, vomi ng, headaches
o Broken glass/iron → injuries, wounds, infec ons
4. Environmental Effects
o Non-decomposable waste: blocks air/water flow
Affects soil and water life
Can cause floods, property destruc on
o Liquid waste:
Chemical wastewater from industries pollutes rivers
Leads to poor farming soil
Water smells bad
5. Gaseous Waste Effects
o Carbon monoxide: blocks oxygen in blood → can cause death
o Ozone layer damage: lets dangerous sun rays through → skin cancer
o Greenhouse gases (CO₂, methane): trap heat → climate change
Droughts, floods, and storms increase
F: Waste Management
Managing waste is about reducing, storing, reusing, and trea ng it properly.
Reduc on of Waste Produc on
Avoid using single-use items (e.g. plas c bo les)
Use reusable cups, bags, containers
Storage of Waste in Bins Before Destruc on
Use waste bins at homes, schools, markets
Bins should have lids to prevent smell and pests
Waste should be separated:
o Decomposable vs Non-decomposable
o Toxic vs Non-toxic
Gaseous waste: should be processed before releasing
Reuse of Waste
Some waste can be reused as they are:
o Buckets → water containers
o Bo les → plan ng flowers or vegetables
o Beverage bo les → returned to factories for cleaning and reuse
Recycling of Waste
Turning waste into new products
o Plas c/glass bo les → new bo les
o Paper → charcoal or new paper
o Metal scraps → iron bars/sheets
o Plant/animal remains → animal food
Making Compost and Biogas
1. Biogas:
o Formed when decomposable waste rots without oxygen
o Used for cooking and electricity
o Sources: faeces, food remains, crop waste
2. Compost manure:
o Waste collected in a pit and mixed regularly
o A er decomposi on → used in farms