Where Will Your Trash Go, When the Landfills Are Full?
Arzell J.
English 1010
December 8, 2010
Where will your trash go, when the landfills are full?
Many people have heard about landfills, but hardly anyone knows a lot about what effect it have on society. Most people toss their garbage into dumpsters and litter on the streets in carelessness. People hauled their used furniture, bikes, old toys, and battered car parts to junkyards and dumpsters without a clue of where it goes and what happens to it. When people drop their trash on the street, toss litter out their car windows, throw their garbage into landfills, lakes or rivers, they are polluting their community, nation and the earth.
Many people live their lives unaware of an accumulating danger that threatens the human lifestyle and existence. Besides, America creates more trash than any other country in the world. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “the average American produces 100 garbage cans full of garbage every year. An average of 3.6 pound of garbage is produced a day per household and 1,300 pounds a year”. One can only imagine how much that totals in a year; it is, in fact, 160 million tons of garbage. To make matters even worse, one of the most alarming issues is where to dispose of the trash that we create on a daily basis.
Contrary to popular belief, when human burn garbage in incinerators they pollute the air. When they leave their garbage out in the open like landfills, it spreads diseases. As a result, people have become sick, and some have died from these wastes pollution. When people bury trash underground, there is a very high risk of contaminating drinking water. Disposing waste legally or illegally harms the environment, especially more with new product that have been produced such as, disposable facial wipes, diapers, paper cups, plates and other products that are throw away items. Our world is turning in to a "throw away" society. Our drinking water and air are becoming very unsafe in some parts of the world even
English 1010
December 8, 2010
Where will your trash go, when the landfills are full?
Many people have heard about landfills, but hardly anyone knows a lot about what effect it have on society. Most people toss their garbage into dumpsters and litter on the streets in carelessness. People hauled their used furniture, bikes, old toys, and battered car parts to junkyards and dumpsters without a clue of where it goes and what happens to it. When people drop their trash on the street, toss litter out their car windows, throw their garbage into landfills, lakes or rivers, they are polluting their community, nation and the earth.
Many people live their lives unaware of an accumulating danger that threatens the human lifestyle and existence. Besides, America creates more trash than any other country in the world. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “the average American produces 100 garbage cans full of garbage every year. An average of 3.6 pound of garbage is produced a day per household and 1,300 pounds a year”. One can only imagine how much that totals in a year; it is, in fact, 160 million tons of garbage. To make matters even worse, one of the most alarming issues is where to dispose of the trash that we create on a daily basis.
Contrary to popular belief, when human burn garbage in incinerators they pollute the air. When they leave their garbage out in the open like landfills, it spreads diseases. As a result, people have become sick, and some have died from these wastes pollution. When people bury trash underground, there is a very high risk of contaminating drinking water. Disposing waste legally or illegally harms the environment, especially more with new product that have been produced such as, disposable facial wipes, diapers, paper cups, plates and other products that are throw away items. Our world is turning in to a "throw away" society. Our drinking water and air are becoming very unsafe in some parts of the world even
Cited: Rogers, Heather. Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage: Tom Smith, 2005 Gone Tomorrow YouTube Video, <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5934530156227758850#> The Environmental Protection Agency, <http://www.epa.gov/waste/> Wise Geek, <http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-garbage-does-a-person-create-in-one-year.htm>