Zero waste periods to combat climate change

Lesson plan by Mariya Shah, Head of the Life Plan Programme and English teacher from India.

Who are the target students?

In the lesson plan the delivery of the 6 lessons is targeted at female high school students studying environmental science. This could be extended to cover all genders undertaking a science based curriculum.

What does the plan include?

The plan is broken into 6 topic areas with a total of 8 hours of learning. Students are introduced to climate change, followed by an investigation into the environmental waste involved with menstrual products. The middle two lessons are used to explore alternatives and plan for action. The final third of the module is devoted to refining the proposed solutions. 

How can you use this in your school?

This forms a core aspect of climate change investigation, allied to the problem of plastic waste. As an area not ordinarily covered, this lesson serves to highlight how climate is affected by practices and how this may be addressed.

Outcomes from the lessons:

This module will enable the students to: 

• Discuss the impact of menstrual plastic waste on the environment
• Empower students to launch the campaign “Zero waste periods to combat climate change” through community service and social media

Suggested technology:

None needed

Supporting links:

• https://www.globalmenstrualcollective.org/uploads/2024/06/Climate-Change-affects-Menstrual-Health-deck_June2024.pdf
• https://canwach.ca/article/climate-change-and-menstrual-health-understanding-the-impact/
• https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/carbon-impacts-menstrual-products
• https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/plastics-and-climate/

Next steps