Waste Management 101
Why America's Trash is a Problem & How You Can Help
Humans are the trashiest species, making more garbage than any other animal, plant, or fungi, and Americans are the trashiest of all the humans. On average, each person in America creates 4 pounds of trash per day, that they throw away without ever having to think about the problems it causes because of the way our society is set up to not have to worry about it. However you should be concerned about your garbage, considering it is all made of resources you are paying for and that the disposal of this waste is causing health problems you will have to endure. About 40% of all America’s resources produce nothing but packaging, which will most likely end up in the trash, making garbage the thing Americans create the most. This packaging is made from plastics which are made from oil or paper, which is made from trees and all of it are resources we pay for only to dispose of it in ways that are unhealthy to our communities.
When our garbage is disposed of, it can be put into a landfill where it will break down slowly over time, taking up space and releasing methane which traps heat and is explosive. In addition to these problems, old batteries have the potential to cause fires in landfills that melt the liners and contaminate the soil and water. Therefore it’s illegal to throw batteries away in many states but unfortunately there is no one to enforce these laws.
If you happen to live on the coast your garbage might be dumped into the ocean where it will add to the massive pile of plastic known as the Pacific Gyre which is twice the size of Texas even though the plastic that makes up the bulk of it is breaking down and entering our food chain. Sadly, humans all have plastic in them and many of us are enduring digestive issues or problems with our immune systems because of it. We’re literally eating our own garbage and feeding it to the rest of the world as well.
In some states, there are incineration plants that burn garbage to create energy for either heat or electricity. These incineration plants create toxic ash, which is a hazardous waste, while they release toxic air pollution despite the methods used to minimize it.
So how can we be less trashy? The most effective way is to reuse products instead of choosing disposable ones; use real silverware and plates, consider using cloth diapers and handkerchiefs, bring your own bag to the grocery store, fill up a water bottle instead of buying plastic ones. You will be pleased to find many of these efforts will save you money. You can also choose to buy products with less packaging and less harmful chemicals. Finally, you can recycle the materials that your community is collecting, but it’s important to understand the limitations and problems of these programs since they often fail.
Recycling is a process that involves three steps; collecting the material, making something new with it, and then putting it back into the economy to be used again. To recycle properly, items need to be separated so the raw materials can be bailed and sold to the businesses that need them. So recycling only works when the people participating understand what is accepted by their community and avoid contaminating the collection with other things. Materials like metal are easily recycled, since using recycled metals is a great deal more cost effective than mining and smelting ores to make new metal. Plastic and paper are not as easily reused and become weaker each time they are.
One of the most effective and important ways to recycle is to compost food waste. This will help communities save both water and the essential nutrients in their soil needed for growing crops. If getting a compost bin is out of the question, consider hiring a composting service. It will be an investment that keeps your community healthier.
Here is a link to our local composting service:
And here are some other links to help you get better at waste management.