The Throwaway Society Chapter 16

1. What is the difference between trash and litter? 2. How much trash do you think you produce each day? 3. How much trash do you think that our school produces each day? 4. Is all trash the same, or are there different categories of trash? 5. What are the long-term implications for a world that has too much trash in it? 6. What is the connection between reducing trash, preserving the environment, and reducing and preventing litter?

How much of this would you consider “recyclable”?

Waste Disposal Method % of Waste by Weight Stored in Landfills 57 Recycled 27 Incinerated 16 The data (percentages) will vary, based on stages of development in various parts of the world and their community infrastructure.

Humans are the only organisms that produce waste others cannot use. Even this dung beetle is using elephant waste as a resource. The waste of most organisms in the natural world end up being a resource for other organisms.

Municipal solid waste generation in the United States, 1960−2008. Total MSW generation and per capita MSW generation had been increasing from 1960 through It has recently started to decrease. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 60 percent of MSW comes from residences and 40 percent from commercial and institutional facilities.

U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Designed in 1976 to reduce or eliminate hazardous waste. Also know as “cradle-to-grave” tracking. RCRA ensures that hazardous waste is tracked and properly disposed of. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Originally passed in 1980 and amended in Puts a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries - also know as “Superfund”. This revenue is used to cleanup abandoned and non-operating hazardous waste sites where a responsible party cannot be found. Requires the federal government to respond directly to the release of substance that may pose a threat to human health or the environment Brownfields Contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded. Old factories, industrial areas and waterfronts, dry cleaners, gas stations, landfills, and rail yards are some examples.

Buy products made from Recycled materials. Look for products made with less packaging. Don’t take too many napkins, utensils or condiments.

At meals, use washable cups, dishes, and utensils Bring a re-usable water bottle to school Use both sides of paper for printing/copies Take re-usable shopping bags to the store

Recycling saves 3 to 5 times the energy generated by waste-to-energy plants, even without counting the wasted energy in the burned materials. Making a ton of paper from recycled paper saves up to 17 trees and uses 50 percent less water than does creating paper from virgin pulp. The amount of aluminum currently recycled in 1 year is enough to rebuild our entire airplane commercial fleet every 6 months.

Total weight of Municipal Solid Waste recycled and percent of MSW recycled in the United States over time. Both the total weight of MSW that is recycled and the percentage of MSW that is recycled have increased dramatically since the 1990’s.

Can you think of any more?