1. Waste
Management

2. 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

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

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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

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

9. 3 Problems Associated with Landfills:
Lechate
Methane Production
Animals at the landfill

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

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

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