Förskolebarns uppfattningar om återvinningsprocessen : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om barns förståelse av vad som händer med avfallet efter det hamnat på återvinningsstationen

Sammanfattning: By creating an understanding among the younger children of why it is important to take care of our planet, a greater commitment can be created if children gain knowledge and experience at an early age. Recycling of materials is a way to save the earth's resources, the purpose of the study is therefore to contribute with knowledge about children's understanding of the phenomenon of recycling and what happens after rubbish is thrown at the recycling station. The study's two questions are: What do the children think happens to the waste we throw at the recycling station? What do the children think the consequences will be if waste is thrown away in places other than the recycling station? To get answers to the questions, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 children from two different preschools located in Central Sweden. The study is based on a phenomeno-graphic approach and focuses on the variation in children's perceptions. The results show two different perceptions of what happens to waste that is thrown away at the recycling station: that it becomes new material or that the garbage truck picks it up. Furthermore, the result identified the following four different perceptions about the consequence of waste being thrown away in other places: it is harmful to animals, harmful to nature, you have to pick it up and that people can get sick. The study contributes with knowledge about the variation in children's perceptions of the recycling process.