Where Does Your Garbage Go?

One of the daily chores for many homes is to take out the garbage. The garbage is then taken to the curb and picked up by the garbage man. The next stop for the garbage is to a local landfill. Over the years these landfills began filling a larger area, and causes some concern for environmentalist. Some of this landfill waste is burned or recycled. Landfills are the country’s number one tool for waste management. There are some negative results that come from these landfills. For instance, they can release toxic chemicals into the water, and the soil in the surrounding areas, and the release of methane gas from the landfill can cause global warming.

Many landfills were shut down in the years following 1990, because of their leaking, but larger landfills were built with stricter environmental controls. It is estimated that there were 8,000 landfills in the United States in 1988, and there are fewer than 2,000 today. It is usually a touchy situation for states when trying to decide where to place a landfill. The state of New Jersey had to accept trash from other areas, and other states have been buying and bartering for dumping rights beyond their own borders.

A stretch of land in the northern Pacific has what is called the “Eastern Garbage Patch” with a stew of trash twice the size of Texas. This patch holds some of the two billion tons of waste we create each year. Technology is moving forward to provide hope for a better way of disposing our garbage. Studies show that landfills will double by the year 2030.

Paper and glass are not in high demand as they once were, creating a recycling slump. This has caused the price of recyclables to decrease by 50 to 70 percent. Some cities have seen recycling turn from a revenue stream to an expense, since they can’t cut back the cost of sorting the goods. Bruce Parker, the president of the National Solid Waste Management Association and his trade group supports giving trash a second life, and landfills a break by following Europe’s lead and investing in more waste-to-energy plants, which convert trash to fuel. Denmark and Sweden are two countries that are using such plants with a high 55 percent compared to only 8 percent in the United States. Some resistance is coming from environmental groups, who say recycling is cheaper and cleaner countries that have the most waste-to-energy are doing the most recycling.

Garbage burning is another useful method for getting rid of trash. Gasification breaks down the garbage into a flammable, synthetic gas, which is known to power gas turbines and generate electricity. This method of gasification recovers more usable energy than the traditional steam turbines of the traditional waste-to-energy plants. There are many startup costs involved in the method of gasification which is a deterrent for prospective customers.

Imitation plastic is another way of helping the environment. Some people are switching to corn-based water bottles to use in their dining halls. These bottles are fashioned from corn and soybeans, which means they are biodegradable, and made without oil. Using plants to make bioplastic material, is considered a good choice by some people who are concerned about the environment. There are a few stores that use this type of packaging.

The most beneficial solution for the environment is when products can be used, recycled, then used again without losing any material quality. Technology is working on better ways and better solutions to dispose of waste, which offers hope and enlightenment for a cleaner world.