Grade 7 | 10 Questions | 30 Minutes
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For hundreds of years, people have thrown away things they no longer needed. Old food, broken tools, and worn-out clothes were tossed into pits or left on the ground. In the past, most of this waste broke down naturally because it was made from plants, animals, or minerals. Today, however, the story is very different. Modern products are often made from materials that take decades or even centuries to decompose.
The average American creates about 4.4 pounds of trash each day. That adds up to roughly 292 million tons of waste per year in the United States alone. About 50% of this waste goes to landfills, which are large areas where trash is buried underground. Landfills can pollute the surrounding soil and water if they are not managed carefully. They also release methane, a gas that contributes to climate change. Methane is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 20-year period.
Recycling has become one important solution to the waste problem. When materials like paper, glass, metal, and certain plastics are recycled, they can be turned into new products instead of ending up in landfills. Recycling aluminum cans, for example, uses 95% less energy than making new aluminum from raw materials. However, only about 32% of waste in the U.S. is actually recycled. Many people are confused about what can and cannot be recycled, and some cities lack good recycling programs.
Composting is another approach that is gaining attention. Food scraps and yard waste make up about 30% of what Americans throw away. When this organic material goes to a landfill, it produces methane. But when it is composted, it breaks down into rich soil that helps gardens and farms grow healthier plants. Some schools and cities have started composting programs with great success.
Experts say the best solution is to reduce waste in the first place. Buying fewer products with extra packaging, choosing items that last longer, and repairing things instead of replacing them are all ways to cut down on trash. This idea is sometimes called the "reduce, reuse, recycle" approach. By changing how we think about the things we buy and throw away, we can protect the environment and create a cleaner future.
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