Waste Management

Words you need to Know Solid Waste – discarded solid material, such as garbage, refuse, or sludge Municipal Solid Waste – waste produced by households & businesses. Biodegradable – a material that can be broken down by biological process

Landfill - an area of land where waste is placed for permanent disposal

Leachate – a liquid that has passed through solid waste and carries dissolved materials from waste, such as pesticides in the soil.

Facts: The amount of solid waste in the US has doubled in the past 40 years Each person in the US produces 4 pounds of solid waste each day The percentage of waste that is recycled is up from 6.6% in 1970 to over 28% today

Facts: Every year, people in the US generate more than 10 billion metric tons of solid waste. Materials that are biodegradable, such as newspapers & cotton fibers, can be broken down by biological processes. Materials that are NOT biodegradable such as plastics, are a major cause of disposal problems.

Facts Municipal Solid Waste makes up only a small fraction of the total solid waste generated, but it still amounts to over 210 billion metric tons per year. Most solid waste goes to landfills.

Other Solid Waste May Go To… Incinerators are other facilities used for disposing solid waste. Incinerators burn solid waste Contributes to air pollution

3 Problems Associated with Landfills: Lechate Methane Production Animals at the landfill

Ways to protect water at a Landfill Monitor wells Plastic liners Leachate collection system

Keeping Animals Away To help keep wild animals away from landfills, the landfill gets covered with dirt

Ways to decrease solid waste: Reduce Separate biodegradable materials and compost Compost: decomposed organic matter 2. Reuse 3. Recycling Purchase recycled products