Recycling Mini Excursion

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To cap off our resource management unit in geography, our class participated in a multiday recycling exercise starting with sorting waste (in the recycling room at the school) and then taking a trip to a recycling center nearby (Pelowatta scrap center), where we sold our sorted recyclables for adding to the recycling service group budget.

This proved to be a learning experience for all of us, learning several things, that you can be payed for your waste if you’re willing to make an effort and what things can be recycled and what cannot, for example tissue papers cannot be recycled, and this particular center did not recycle shredded paper however cardboard is recyclable and they will therefore offer a fixed price  of Rs30 per kg for it. This price fluxuates over time and is not constant.

 

The current rates are stated below in SLR per KG

 

Weighing assorted cardboard boxes and other recyclables Credit: Thevuni

The short, 1kmish walk from school to the recycling shop  Credit: Thevuni

Plastic bottle: 40

Copper: 650

Aluminium: 100

Beer can (individual): 40

Battery: 100 for big 50 for small

Book (individual): 10

Cardboard: 30

 

 

 

 

 

Because we sorted 39kg of cardboard waste (shredded paper was not exchanged) we had a total profit of Rs1,170, which may not seem like a lot, but once considering weekly nature of what this service usually is and the somewhat spontaneous nature of this particular excursion, we can prove how much revenue you can get back from simply recycling your garbage.

 

DP Science Trip/Orientation

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Bonding exercises in the river Credit: Wade

Campfire sing along and reflection time Credit: Wade

Rafting Credit: Wade

 

Combining DP Science trips and orientation, we went to Kithulgala for 3 days and two nights, sleeping with nature and apparently pit demons (whip scorpions). The trip was really fun, and contained new experiences for me such as visiting a hydroelectric power station and canyoning.

Whip Scorpion next to my bed

Day 1: IB orientation day, we went white water rafting and canyoning. This was my first time canyoning and was also a period where we as a grade were forced to bond with each other. Before each rock slide or jump, there would be someone in our grade standing, waiting to guide people onto the right line in the slide or the right angle to jump at, really making it so you would have to trust that person. Coming out of the trip-directly a result of this, we were closer as a grade.

Day 2: Science day 1, we went to the power station and as an ESS student, observed the biodiversity and differentiation of species, taking pictures for identification on iNaturalist. Later in the day, we went to the tropical rainforest.

Day 3: Our final day was spent hiking to a nearby cave featuring a couple of ruins as well as something of a bat cave. In order to get there we had to go through what felt like a fellowship of windy roads, high falls and beautiful mountains, something that a lot of people in our class struggled with. After about 25 minutes we arrived-to the start of the hiking trail. The hike was about 20 minutes, first through the tea plantation and accompanying school and then through the rain forest and the two streams (where we hoped to see some rare frogs). Upon getting there, the first thing that we noticed was the stark change in temperature between cool and drafty cave vs the humid rainforest. There was also a bunch old ruins scattered around the base of the overhang. After returning to the camp for a final lunch, we packed up and headed home.

 

The biggest point of growth during this trip for me was getting over not so much a fear as the irrational feeling when a leech sucks your blood. This is mainly because I just accepted that the leeches were going to be there and learned how to take them off. My classmates who had the unfortunate experience of being next to me the first day can attest to the complete and utter chaos that followed me discovering a leech as well as the violations of the geneva convention that followed it. While I cannot say that I’m proud of what I did during the first day, I can say that I’m proud of me getting over my fear and hope in the future using this knowledge I can help other people who also have that same fear.

 

Service Objectives For the Future

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Coming out of a lockdown phase in which not much physical work was accomplished, the goals for the coming semesters stand to be hopefully very hands-on and achievable in order to promote a sustainable future for the service. While no specific goals have been outlined for the future, during the next two weeks members of our service will investigate specific goals that impact our direct community in a physical way such as providing basic infrastructure to less fortunate communities and creating a better learning environment or enjoyable experience for a low-income school.

This new year represents something of a new generation as the two-year lockdown has diminished goals of the past, leaving a need for a new goal and driving ambition to dedicate time in this service to. Because we aim to create a sustainable future for the service, leaving new projects that can be improved upon and contacts whose goals match ours in order to pave a metaphorical road for future members of our service, enabling consistent meaningful time over a longer period of time.

A list of potential ideas (all still in development and completely theoretical at the time):

  • Providing infrastructure for local schools/communities (we know of children’s hospitals in the area and we hope to collaborate with other services who interact directly with the community, such as RCCI or SOS village)
  • Setting up a service day in which members of the OSC community provide physical services to better a specific community, such as the children’s hospital
  • Reaching out to past contacts in order to determine new goals based on their needs

 

 

The hands-on, collaborative experience we wish to continue as a service

 

CAS Goals

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Service:

As I am in the Housing and Habitat service group, our general goal is to improve the life of people in need within. We do this through making sure that said people have access to physical benefits such as furniture or utensils. Essentially, we aim to improve the housing and habitat for people, where it is needed. By the time I have gone through the DP, I aim to have contributed to a better life for various people in the community.

I will also participate and make movements to clean up various streets and parks in my neighborhood leading to it becoming much more clean and environmentally conscious.

 

Action (Physical Activity):

I will be planting and catering for a small home garden which will allow my house to become more sustainable as herbs such as cilantro and mint will be available from our own garden and not need to be bought from a supermarket. Papaya and passionfruit, both relatively low work intensive plants, will also be planted as well as various plants to make the garden more aesthetically appealing.

I will also be training with the aim to dunk so that I can become a more proficient basketball player. In addition to this, given the opportunity at the beach, I will also have the goal of landing an ariel while surfing by the end of 2022.

 

Creative:

In an ideal situation, I would aim to participate in dramatic events such as a play however given the current circumstances I will begin to upload various youtube videos with vlogs on everyday life (maybe uploading things such as POV sport videos and nature related things like hikes) and maybe gameplay videos of games that I enjoy. The intentions of these youtube videos would be to capture what my life is and educate people who might not be able to experience the things that I have access to. Because of the youtube aspect of the goal, I will also improve upon my video editing skills as well as photography and videography which are both very important skills in this day and age. I aim to have uploaded at least 10 videos of high quality standard before 2024.

Another creative goal is to learn how to play ukulele and bass guitar well enough to understand sheet music and play a couple of notes on each instrument effectively.