Waste Unit Flashcards
How long does it take for different types of litter to break down?
Newspaper and Paper:2-6 months; Food and cardboard: 6-12 months; Cigarette filter:5-10 years
Tin can: 80-100 years; Diaper, aluminum can, chip bag: 200-500 years; Plastic, styrofoam, glass: Never
Is the waste issue more about income or attitudes or both?
I think it’s both, because the way a person views waste affects the way they approach disposing of it.But, if people can’t
afford to be waste conscious, then it’s difficult to dispose of waste in an eco-friendly way.
Why is plastic such a difficult material to dispose of?
Plastics are made out of synthetic materials, which are made of combined chemicals that are turned into compounds.
The compounds are not naturally formed, and this is why it takes years for plastics to break down because the microorganisms have not yet evolved in ways to break down the molecular structure.
What are the different methods for disposing of trash? Which is the most common in the United States?
Stored in landfills, recycled and incinerated. Landfills are the most common
What are the problems with landfills and how are they dealt with?
Landfills have leachate which is basically a liquid that seeps through a landfill, and can contaminate the environment.
The landfills monitor, measure, and store leachate, and treat it as waste water. There is also decomposing organic waste that can produce highly flammable gas. The gas is pumped out and used as fuel, but if not carefully done it can cause explosions.
What is NIMBY?
Stands for “Not In My Back Yard”; a person who doesn’t want any unpleasant or hazardous sites in their neighborhood.
Basically community reluctance to having landfills near their homes.
What are the steps of the Materials Economy as outlined in The Story of Stuff?
Extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal.
What happened in Love Canal, NY and what long term impact did it have?
Love Canal was an abandoned canal that became a dumping site for 22,000 tons of chemical waste.Many people had to leave their homes, and many children who originally lived there had health problems as adults.
What are the 5 Rs? Give an example of each.
Reduce- using reusable food containers; Reuse- using old candle glasses to hold items; Recycle- tossing paper in its proper recycle bin; Rot: putting organic material in the compost bin; Reflect: thinking about the impact our habits have on the environment
Compare how nature manages trash to how humans manage trash.
Nature breaks down what can be broken down; and humans place trash in landfills or in proper storage
