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Where Does Our Garbage Go?

2/16/2021

12 Comments

 
Picture
By: Kay Kim

Any consumer will throw something into the garbage, but how many know what happens to their discarded items and where it goes? There are generally 3 different bins to throw something out:
  1. Recycling - blue bin for paper, glass, cartons, etc.
  2. Composts - green bin for organic waste and food scraps
  3. Garbage - black bin for everything else

Then, they go through different waste facilities; according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the total generation of municipal solid waste in 2018 was 292.4 million tons, which means each person would produce an average of 4.9 pounds of garbage a day just in the U.S. Shelby Bell states that 32.5% of waste was recycled or composted, 12.5% was incinerated (for energy generation), and 55% of it was thrown into our landfills (“Landfills: We’re running out of space”). Due to the growing population, more and more people consume and waste; thus, in most countries, waste production and landfills have been increasing. From 2002 to 2012, Canada’s residential waste rose by 27% (14.3 million tonnes). 

Why are landfills bad?
Landfills cause several negative impacts on our environment, people and economy. The toxic chemicals that landfills carry are dangerous to our health. Electronic waste, for example, contains mercury, arsenic, cadmium, acids, and lead which are all harmful toxins. Once these toxins are exposed to the environment, organisms, including humans, that depend on water and plants will be impacted. Approximately 35-55% of methane gas is in our landfills (which can be released for up to 50 years) and makes up 17.7% of the total methane emissions in the U.S. Methane causes 72 times more warming than one ton of CO2 (another gas emitted from landfills). The 30-44% of Carbon dioxide will be released to thicken the greenhouse gas layer. To accommodate for the rise in waste production also means more money will be invested to build these landfill sites. 

COVID-19 and Waste
Furthermore, the pandemic has its share in negatively affecting the environment. COVID-19 increased the amount of medical waste, masks, gloves, and plastics used globally. In China, about 40-50 tonnes of medical waste has been thrown away each day before the outbreak; however, according to the statistics from March 1, 2020, the statistic has risen to 247 tonnes a day—a huge jump in waste. Many other countries are facing similar situations. As a result, when waste containing the virus is not managed properly, it can lead to secondary contamination, pollution and hazardous chemical runoff into the environment. 

Solutions
So, what can you do about this pressing issue? How can we reduce the continuous increment in waste production?
  1. Community cleanups 
    TUGI is looking for volunteers for community cleanups in 2021 so stay updated! However, there are many ways to get involved in local cleanups in your area. 
  2. Compost more 
    The decomposition of organic material like coffee grounds, eggshells and peels provides nutrients that enriches the soil and improves plant growth. 
  3. Use reusable products 
    Examples include metal straws, reusable masks, grocery bags and water bottles. Avoiding single-use plastics makes a big difference in reducing waste. 
  4. Purchase wisely 
    Choose eco-friendly shampoos, detergents, biodegradable products, products with conscious packaging, and produce from local farmers.
  5. Buy or donate used goods 
    Donate clothes, lamps, cars and electronics to donation centers or sell them on eBay, Kijiji and Craigslist. Buying second-hand from thrift stores is cheap and reduces waste!
​
If we continue to ignore and waste irresponsibly, it will lead to an unsustainable future and we will be confronted with the negative consequences. Taking action for our communities and being more aware of how our behaviour impacts the environment will be beneficial for finding more sustainable ways to live. If we take from the environment and give back landfills, hazardous chemicals, plastics, greenhouse gases and pollution, there will be not much left for us to take anymore.

Sources:
Roadrunner 
https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/landfills-were-running-out-of-space#:~:text=Of%20the%20estimated%20267.8%20million,percent%20is%20buried%20in%20landfill.  


Environmental and Energy Study Institute
https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-landfill-methane 


United States Environmental Protection Agency
https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials 


Statistics Canada
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/160524/dq160524a-eng.htm 

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
 
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6498/1438.1 


UNISAN
https://www.unisanuk.com/what-is-a-landfill-why-are-landfills-bad-for-the-environment/
12 Comments
Diaper Recycling link
9/7/2021 09:38:50 pm

From the picture above imagine how much plastics and dirty nappies are in there if only these garbage are being recycled we can greatly decrease the amount of wastes in the landfill.

Reply
eSkip link
10/13/2021 12:47:59 am

Great article! Here in Sydney the council have started special e-waste recycling stations, they claim 95% of the waste is recovered and therefore diverted from landfill.

Reply
garbage dumpster link
12/6/2021 02:38:13 am



I just finished reading your article post on the garbage crisis and I totally agree that it's an important problem. I'm also interested in what you have to say about how the whole process works from start to finish. Seems like there are a lot of different steps as well as lots of opportunity for things to go wrong along the way!

Reply
Used Car Buyer Calgary link
2/23/2022 11:38:10 am

Thanks for the great article on garbage disposal. It's something that I'm really interested in and it was great to see your perspective on it.

Reply
Victoria Addington link
3/23/2022 05:32:40 am

I agreed when you stated that the toxic chemicals that landfills hold can cause several negative impacts on our health. I think biohazardous waste provides the same impact on our environment and health. In my opinion, businesses who deal with these wastes should utilize an effective alternative to properly disposed of them.

Reply
Mia Evans link
8/1/2022 11:50:34 pm

I never took into account the fact that over 40 to 50 tonnes of medical waste is produced even before the pandemic. I hope that establishments and facilities would invest in skip bin hire services that segregated the wastes properly. Also, it will help the planet if the wastes are not all going directly to landfills.

Reply
Larry Rich link
10/3/2022 03:18:19 am

Taking care of the environment is important. If we continue to ignore and waste irresponsibly, it will lead us into an unsustainable future where negative consequences await those who don't take action for their communities as well being more aware about how our behaviour impacts nature.

Reply
Junk Removal Jacksonville link
1/11/2023 03:02:07 pm

Thank you for sharing this insightful article.

Reply
Junk Removal Tucson link
2/11/2023 01:08:16 pm

Thanks for all you do. I appreciate you!

Reply
Junk Removal Scottsdale link
2/11/2023 01:14:58 pm

Awesome information, thanks for sharing.

Reply
Junk Removal Mesa link
2/11/2023 01:20:35 pm

Great information. This article served its purpose. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Millie Hue link
3/10/2023 08:06:57 pm

It got me when you said that there are toxic chemicals that are produced by landfills which can be dangerous to the health of the people. And I think even if we are far from locations like those, our environment is being affected which means that we are also affected in some way. So I hope that the ruby eco-friendly way services out there in every state and every city so that we can all be safe, especially when our world is already polluted as it is.

Reply



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