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Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is commonly called garbage, trash or rubbish.
MSW is what you might find in your waste can at home as such paper, plastic,
glass, metal cans, boxes, clothing, food waste, yard waste, wrapping,
appliances, furniture etc... In Cuyahoga County, we generate over 3.7 million
tons of waste each year. Most of the waste is disposed of in landfills outside
of Cuyahoga County.
An average person throws away 5 pounds of trash per day. What would your
classroom produce? 5 pounds x # of students = _______.
Modern landfills have safety measures to limit environmental and human health
problems. They are built with protective liners, which prevent leachate
(a toxic liquid) from seeping into the soil and groundwater. Pipes are
strategically placed throughout the landfill to extract methane gas, a flammable gas,
which can explode. Finally, waste is covered daily with a thick layer of soil
to prevent odors and eliminate scavenging animals.
Solid Waste Classroom Activities
Grades K-3: Disappearing Trash
Grades 4-6: Are you helping our environment?
Grades 7-12: ISW: Environmental Ethics and Consumers
Grades 8-10: Investigating Solid Waste (ISW): Where on Earth
Web Resources for MSW
EPA Office of Solid Waste
Solid Waste Association of North America
Waste Industries, Inc.
Packaging and the Environment
Recycling Product News
Californians Against Waste
The Green Shopper Program in Canada
Waste Age for Waste Industry Professionals
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