Waste Diary
Collaborators- None
Abstract- An observational lab was conducted to see how much excess waste a teenager produces over the course of a few days. Data was recorded on what the subject had thrown out, recycled, and/or composted over the course of 96 hours. The data showed that much of the excess waste is made of materials that could be reused or recycled in some form or fashion such as paper, metals, and plastics. However, the trashed items goes straight to the landfill with other waste.
Problem- According to the EPA, the average person produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste daily. Record the waste that you produce over the course of 72 hours and identify sources of excess waste and calculate the amount of waste that you produce.
Materials- Waste
Notebook
Human (optional)
Methods- 1. Start timer for 96 hours
2. Take note of everything thrown out, recycled, reused, composted, etc.
3. Add up cumulative waste after 96 hours.
Data- Food items thrown out- Apple cores, fruit peels, grape vines, wrappers, cans, bottles, cups, utensils, animal bones, various containers.
Abstract- An observational lab was conducted to see how much excess waste a teenager produces over the course of a few days. Data was recorded on what the subject had thrown out, recycled, and/or composted over the course of 96 hours. The data showed that much of the excess waste is made of materials that could be reused or recycled in some form or fashion such as paper, metals, and plastics. However, the trashed items goes straight to the landfill with other waste.
Problem- According to the EPA, the average person produces 4.4 pounds of solid waste daily. Record the waste that you produce over the course of 72 hours and identify sources of excess waste and calculate the amount of waste that you produce.
Materials- Waste
Notebook
Human (optional)
Methods- 1. Start timer for 96 hours
2. Take note of everything thrown out, recycled, reused, composted, etc.
3. Add up cumulative waste after 96 hours.
Data- Food items thrown out- Apple cores, fruit peels, grape vines, wrappers, cans, bottles, cups, utensils, animal bones, various containers.
Total Composition of Waste
Data Analysis- From the recorded data, during the course of 96 hours, a large amount of the waste produced is coming primarily from sources such as food waste, paper, and plastic. Most of products made from durable materials like metal, paper, or plastic can be reused as well as recycled. Food waste as well as papers without ink on them can be composted and used later as fertilizer for plants. With this composition, the large amounts of waste are coming from food, paper, and plastic which can be easily be used in other means rather than be thrown out. If others lived like this, much of the waste could be reused or recycled in some form or fashion, saving room in landfills. As a matter of fact, most waste can be reused, just nobody takes the time to do so, causing problems in the environment through landfills.
Conclusion- Most waste produced by people, omitting food, comes from paper and plastic materials. Although many items used can be reused or recycled, many people don't. Is everyone reused or recycled just their paper and plastic waste, that's nearly 50% of all waste in landfills just simply taken out. That would really impact the environment little by little if more people recycled their waste more often. It wouldn't just help the environment, it would help the economy too.
Landfills cost a lot of money to maintain as they have to monitor and handle the waste properly to protect people and the environment. Also, it costs money to transport the trash from one place to another. If people recycled their waste, the cost of landfill maintenance, transportation, and building would plummet as there would be less trash to be put in the ground. Over all, the more people reduce, reuse, recycle, the better off everyone will be.
Pre-Lab-
1) How much solid waste is produced in the US per day? Per year?
Americans trash about four pounds per day per person, which translates to 600,000 tons per day or 210 million tons per year.
2) How much is that per capita/per day? Per year?
About 4 pounds per person per day, or about 1500 pounds per person per year.
3) Where does this waste go?
Into storage landfills for waste.
4) What different things can be done with waste?
They can be reused for other purposed, recycled and be turned into new items, or composted to help fertilize soil.
5) What do you predict the largest amount of waste you and your family produces is (by category)?
Food waste or paper.
Lab questions-
1. What is done to control the amount of pollution created from a landfill?
Isolate, maintain, and/or insulate around the waste to prevent contamination of the surrounding area. Methane from the trash is also burned to prevent air pollution.
2. Many people think landfills should not be expensive since they are a hole in the ground. Explain why a landfill such as above can cost in the millions of dollars to build and keep up.
Landfills are not simply "holes in the ground." They are storage facilities where everyone's waste is compiled and need to be maintained, monitored, and handled properly in order to keep the environment healthy.
3. How did the amount of waste you and your family each create compare with what you expected?
It was about average. Nearly 4 pounds per day per person in the household. Honestly, it was much less than I expected.
4. What are some reasons the average could be different then your (or family’s) amount for one day?
It could be that we reuse some of the containers, paper, cups, and utensils, that would often be thrown out if not thought about properly. Reusing saves room in the trash bin and the landfill.
5. Calculate how much trash you accumulate in one month’s time: _________
4x30= 120 pounds per month
6. There are approximately 1,800 students at our school. How much trash do you estimate would be produced by all the students in our school over the course of 10 months (one school year)? _____________________
4x1800x300= 2160000 pounds per school year. . . wow. . .
7. What was the total weight of your recyclable material?
(over the course of 96 hours) Approximately 2 pounds
8. What was the total weight of your reusable material?
(over the course of 96 hours) Approximately 3 pounds (crosses over with recyclable)
9. What was the total weight of your compostable material?
(over the course of 96 hours) Approximately 4 pounds
10. Now, calculate how much trash you would produce if all the recyclable, reusable, and compostable material was not in your trash bag? How much trash would that save over the course of one year?
3.33x365= 1216.66 pounds
11. How much could the school save through the course of one school year if all the recyclable, reusable, and compostable material was not thrown in the landfill?
3.33x1800x300= 1798200 pounds
Citations-
"Municipal Solid Waste." U.S Evironmental Protection Agency. EPA, 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 13
Dec. 2013. <http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm>.
Conclusion- Most waste produced by people, omitting food, comes from paper and plastic materials. Although many items used can be reused or recycled, many people don't. Is everyone reused or recycled just their paper and plastic waste, that's nearly 50% of all waste in landfills just simply taken out. That would really impact the environment little by little if more people recycled their waste more often. It wouldn't just help the environment, it would help the economy too.
Landfills cost a lot of money to maintain as they have to monitor and handle the waste properly to protect people and the environment. Also, it costs money to transport the trash from one place to another. If people recycled their waste, the cost of landfill maintenance, transportation, and building would plummet as there would be less trash to be put in the ground. Over all, the more people reduce, reuse, recycle, the better off everyone will be.
Pre-Lab-
1) How much solid waste is produced in the US per day? Per year?
Americans trash about four pounds per day per person, which translates to 600,000 tons per day or 210 million tons per year.
2) How much is that per capita/per day? Per year?
About 4 pounds per person per day, or about 1500 pounds per person per year.
3) Where does this waste go?
Into storage landfills for waste.
4) What different things can be done with waste?
They can be reused for other purposed, recycled and be turned into new items, or composted to help fertilize soil.
5) What do you predict the largest amount of waste you and your family produces is (by category)?
Food waste or paper.
Lab questions-
1. What is done to control the amount of pollution created from a landfill?
Isolate, maintain, and/or insulate around the waste to prevent contamination of the surrounding area. Methane from the trash is also burned to prevent air pollution.
2. Many people think landfills should not be expensive since they are a hole in the ground. Explain why a landfill such as above can cost in the millions of dollars to build and keep up.
Landfills are not simply "holes in the ground." They are storage facilities where everyone's waste is compiled and need to be maintained, monitored, and handled properly in order to keep the environment healthy.
3. How did the amount of waste you and your family each create compare with what you expected?
It was about average. Nearly 4 pounds per day per person in the household. Honestly, it was much less than I expected.
4. What are some reasons the average could be different then your (or family’s) amount for one day?
It could be that we reuse some of the containers, paper, cups, and utensils, that would often be thrown out if not thought about properly. Reusing saves room in the trash bin and the landfill.
5. Calculate how much trash you accumulate in one month’s time: _________
4x30= 120 pounds per month
6. There are approximately 1,800 students at our school. How much trash do you estimate would be produced by all the students in our school over the course of 10 months (one school year)? _____________________
4x1800x300= 2160000 pounds per school year. . . wow. . .
7. What was the total weight of your recyclable material?
(over the course of 96 hours) Approximately 2 pounds
8. What was the total weight of your reusable material?
(over the course of 96 hours) Approximately 3 pounds (crosses over with recyclable)
9. What was the total weight of your compostable material?
(over the course of 96 hours) Approximately 4 pounds
10. Now, calculate how much trash you would produce if all the recyclable, reusable, and compostable material was not in your trash bag? How much trash would that save over the course of one year?
3.33x365= 1216.66 pounds
11. How much could the school save through the course of one school year if all the recyclable, reusable, and compostable material was not thrown in the landfill?
3.33x1800x300= 1798200 pounds
Citations-
"Municipal Solid Waste." U.S Evironmental Protection Agency. EPA, 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 13
Dec. 2013. <http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm>.