Chapter 30. Chapter 30: Managing Solid Waste

What kinds of trash do humans generate...?

Interactive Study Guide
false
true
Chapter 30 thumbnail

Guiding Question 30.1

What kinds of trash do humans generate, particularly in developed nations like the United States?

Why You Should Care

In nature, “what goes in, must come out” is the rule of thumb for decomposition. This works for nature because everything produced or used by animals and plants can be broken down. Human technology changes that, as we produce synthetic chemicals that cannot be broken down by decomposers—this is the origin of trash. Trash is human-generated waste that is not broken down, either because it cannot be broken down or because we have buried it in an oxygen-deprived landfill, so it never gets the chance.

Everything we consume creates some waste. Developed countries produce a unique blend of wastes, some synthetic and some organic (which can be broken down). The goods we use always come with wrappers or containers, or they produce by-products as a result of the manufacturing process. As our ecological footprint has grown, so has our waste production. In just the past 50 years, the per capita waste production has almost doubled in the United States.

Question Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
pjAPWTl7uNPGYM+3/r3CvfIv00rdIBPATxTIK3FeJsuXOfHhwZ1WBmKT0Y3SE47RmuJdjwfjBvZ75SO3H52JpEpnsYYnJN3CciBYZiwAzR0= Matter can neither be created nor destroyed; it only changes form.
1vuG0EJ0tedbHvwQrh+JnoiS6QkU97OVAwqtKH2SrRoZW9jfIrqttlWRN991bdUFMrCJHafWPJ9YLgP+zElZNixdZnScrIzF74wQLxYK0V0= Any material that humans deem to be unwanted.
jnrNHJBpiNI37IvMjKE1ERYzx6V0uuze/L2Z/q+TWUyonZSH2itUXtxgmgzBEfvP+ZmNV5Bc+Fs1DRT5klN8hQlSwhBqxgjJeRIpgp7196c= Capable of being broken down by living organisms.
4klcx2ijXMpyGzWaKSv8zNQ7r3SSdHYuF56bwMRkPYtNzrleAWQWpDgzYFLZ8VRnpYgRHEQ0Nsjpisg04Q+UKsQ0AjiWKRl9tnBkCt9Jf5M= Everyday garbage or trash (solid waste) produced by individuals or small businesses.
gy/CA4VauBgHNEw5yNjjIUzU9iFEgxWKGeH0GP/rRib9HFrMPRtZNWFq8I1MVQtnQct8dDKEphylQW1qWl3XeUcGkz9sPisg7cXozi9PSNg= Incapable of being broken down under normal conditions.
999
Try again.
Correct.
Incorrect.
Infographic 30.1

Question 30.1

LLBCSTyOTPBLDZ0E+dvWDHs2t6WipGnozq5KAX9GZdctgZ1tNFr1lPYytHhup8YaUA6UepF/jbiVh6FhljsBg3cJpMZK5CDsnFGrZWc9Y/X9D7uJKtC+J/M2YbatIcvxxeruDFt5OxZq77PYP7l2dr3kDCM1HioeL/XMrEV5YsI768h/YXC0+Q==
999
Try again.
Correct.
Incorrect.

Question 30.2

bvH7d8ZunTuc7ZS/R9f0yQ4Ks8vIdkmw/PDYhyicgRU653LI8G+u75xR9i9fTE016esz3DI3/Q2JSiIYZHvbtt5847qUGAZrpzF1akrVVccQY8a3MWsEY7G7gt1LC6rh/iCccLBILtmk9qHtMB8ItL0cpn1il8Yt5JPuN1Y/K4wEorh3A2uqXug8FxYrBLJQ4zhKBVo5+vc=
999
Try again.
Correct.
Incorrect.

Question 30.3

Ebjnb/z3KhsDX92tlywJDCb/RGZORasFO7CfYQABpdi9TLEwNfniJsCEpn48JXL0jJCy8RD8HhO4k8KmRMRv40vc/+eWF7pXsymlPQ/nnrUexxOroQtl839jx0JXyEsGCbQxrwMH5lIl19gwJo4pnSjRqKhKNDLaWrleGvBnwMXjBdlzY+LZg+d/q2MeD4W2MYXipe5CYpM=
999
Try again.
Correct.
Incorrect.

Question 30.4

pEVdEsFMF1EgDc6vyu8pyXt3+5JFwXt39DVGneHqNDakNXI/sgPGDq0WIBgMg80HNnNCwtzcyZsDnWajbeVjEFHC83q7M1GtARoOh3uJlfIXBwsQfXPH8ZGcXQjmqJaFQYUUrBX95wQcWVd6kAtBLqia1nNycz9Ql/Aihl5uEQxm3GRlGzO7cDqhq3nIEbK41ijZXM+xsL6BBNDfW0w2xbTOFN8tOYCt9wBSDCpYwe81cp2BtCKauzbaFMuXJbfXHQvGxiN2nsv8B+VIa3uvBjyEw2UAAuE2De/qg8Br70MidT7+IUISzgSBDE0fCKKnpXTyDoo5rF5vddYJqLP5FpKPbWWTTe3evWU1CGJCv+/BzZezRuyFcQNO2b+qjd47n4jgCUMP1rH/OljfDWeoexanoyDIxWIkOqk+JHkueGNJSTXui29FtZNx/VwGbvsZgU5TG895PYx8XQaRPGvCEjAkc/ps+hB8TZJLJK2qFXLyOnvwgv5RrghZgjEpYwVHRtkt+W/aAu0MPX51tSObqg==
999
Try again.
Correct.
Incorrect.

Question 30.5

KqTaZ0FQ/5Rc6seaJRhQDvUjMuC8xV9e5crWTbg6C3Z0U6vTaNylToD1Y2a3Ed4Md2rtGrihEV35D58gry1jKL5kuF/cW1s220KXJfvS/B3oLuIMnDobWwlSf7TXd5KzdDbvBaG5TS7fIWrBVbrbOoFDjamcdj2acWWZO15ud4XwXrztSG4uBA==
999
Try again.
Since MSW is tied very closely to consumption, when the economy shrank, consumers had less money to buy goods that they would ultimately dispose of.