Dig it UP! The Challenge

The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Higher Education institutions involved in this project are not liable for the actions or activities of any reader or anyone else who uses the information in these resource pages or the associated materials. We assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information contained in these resources. A full risk assessment must be carried out before undertaking any of the practical investigations contained in this website and associated resources. We advise teachers to refer to either the CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for children.

All materials are ©Royal Society of Chemistry and the Higher Education institution responsible for setting the challenge and are freely available to share for educational purposes. Whilst educators are free to adapt the resources to suit their own needs, acknowledgement of copyright on all original materials must be included. Rights to original images included in the resource are for the use of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Higher Education institution responsible for setting the challenge only – as such, these images may only be used as part of this resource and may not copied into or used in other materials.

Part I - Bury It Down!

For this project, you will be investigating the degradation of different biodegradable and compostable bags from popular supermarkets. You will bury the bags outdoors, either in your garden or in plant pots, for the duration of the project, and then DIG IT UP to compare any visible degradation between the bags. As the biodegradable and compostable bag will not have degraded significantly within the one-month time period, you are encouraged to continue the experiment at your own leisure.

Short term goals: You will understand the meaning of different terminologies such as biodegradable and compostable, sparking discussions around the processes.

Medium term goals: Your will enhance your knowledge of current environmental issues and how individual choices can contribute towards plastic pollution.

Long term goals: You may be encouraged to change some of the things you do, including opting to reduce plastic use and consider composting brown and green waste.

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  • At least one paper bag
  • At least one biodegradable plastic bag
  • Digging Items (trowel, spoon, etc)
  • A place to bury them in your garden

 

Additional Suggestions

Suitable Bags

✓ Morrison’s paper bag: 20p

✓ Aldi Biodegradable carrier bag: 6p

✓ Co-op Compostable carrier bag: 5p

✓ Greggs small paper sleeve: Free

✓ Primark small paper bag: Free

✕ Asda Bag for Life: 20p

✕ Sainsburys Bag for Life: 30p

✕ Lidl Bag for Life: 9p

 

 

  1. Gather your bags (at least one paper and one biodegradable) and choose a spot to bury them. 
  2. Dig holes in your soil! Make sure the holes are quite deep so that they won’t come loose and blow away. It’s easier to use gardening tools, such as a trowel.
  3. Cover your bags with soil so they are completely buried.
  4. Wait and let nature do its thing!

 

Expand All

  • At least one paper bag
  • At least one biodegradable plastic bag
  • Digging Items (trowel, spoon, etc)
  • One plant pot per bag (ensure the same size pots are used for each bag)

  • Potting soil (Wilko’s 8L Indoor and outdoor: £1.50)

 

Additional Suggestions

Suitable Bags

✓ Morrison’s paper bag: 20p

✓ Aldi Biodegradable carrier bag: 6p

✓ Co-op Compostable carrier bag: 5p

✓ Greggs small paper sleeve: Free

✓ Primark small paper bag: Free

✕ Asda Bag for Life: 20p

✕ Sainsburys Bag for Life: 30p

✕ Lidl Bag for Life: 9p

 

Plant Pot Suggestions

Homebase 11cm Terracotta: £1.25

Homebase 23cm Terracotta: £3

Homebase 13cm Plastic Pack of 5: £2.25 (Please reuse after the experiment to plant flowers or herbs)

 

  1. Gather your bags (at least one paper and one biodegradable) and choose a spot to bury them. Choose a space not undercover so that the rain can reach your pots.
  2. Put a layer of soil in the bottom of your pot first, then place the bag above the soil such that your bag sits in the middle of the pot.
  3. Cover your bags with soil so they are completely buried.
  4. Wait and let nature do its thing!

 

 

Part II - Dig It UP!

  1. Grab your gardening gloves and get messy. Dig up your bags during the week commencing the 15th March – this will be the half-way point of the project.
  2. Inspect your bags for any kind of degradation. What does it look like? Is it mushy? Has it got any holes? Has it changed in colour? Note any changes down in your notebook.
  3. Bury the same bags back in their original place with the same soil.
  4. Wait and let nature do its thing!
  5. Dig your bags up again for the final time at the end of march.
  6. Inspect your bags once again for any degradation and jot it down in your notebook.
  7. Using your data, decide how well each bag is at decomposing, and compare which bag is best and which is worst.

Part III - Conclude It!

  1. Using your results, identify which bag is best for degrading.
  2. Share your experiment findings with your friends and teachers! Start a discussion about the different types of bags, and how they are disposed of (and how quickly or long this takes).
  3. OPTIONAL: Biodegradable and compostable bags take a long time to degrade fully. If you wish to continue to project, bury your bags once again and check on them after 6 months, and then again after 12 months.

 

 

Let's discuss!
Image collage

1. Work scientifically and create a hypothesis. What do you think will happen with the bags in your experiment?

2. Do you think burying the bags outside vs burying the bags in a plant pot would affect the degradation process?

3. What biotic and abiotic factors are needed to degrade compostable items naturally?

4. After digging up and observing your bags, estimate how long do you think total degradation would take.

5. Do you think using biodegradable and compostable bags when shopping is a good idea? Could you think of any alternatives?

6. Which supermarket provides the most eco-friendly shopping bags? 

We've posed lots of questions above and we'd love to hear your thoughts and findings. You can post your answers/ questions / comments below. You can add them at any time.  

We’ll be hosting two LIVE Q&A events where members of the Wolverhampton team behind the Dig It UP! resources will be answering your questions/comments. Check out our 'Welcome' page for dates and times. 

https://app.sli.do/event/qvetkxl3

Celebrate!