Why recycle?
What doe recycling protect by reducing the need for extracting raw materials?
Forests, water and ecosystems.
What does recycling significantly reduce compared to producing new materials?
Energy consumption.
How long does a plastic bag take to decompose?
10-20 years.
Name one example of a coastal clean-up program.
SurfRider Foundation or Ocean Conservancy
Between Hawai'i and California.
By reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
How long does a plastic bottle take to degrade?
450 years.
Which global initiative focuses on reducing plastic waste?
UN Environment Program.
What is the size of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Twice the size of Texas or 1.6 million square kilometers.
Recycling minimizes waste in landfills and reduces what other form of environmental harm?
Pollution.
Recycling helps minimize waste production. What manufacturing process does this reduce?
Energy intensive manufacturing process.
What is the decomposition time of aluminum cans?
80-200 years.
What country has banned single use plastics?
Canada or countries in the European Union.
What type of waste makes up most of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Plastic and micro plastics.
What type of materials when recycled help conserve natural resources?
Recycling materials help reduce energy consumption by globally lowering dependency on what?
Raw resource extractions.
How long does glass take to degrade if not recycled?
1,000,000 years.
What is the Ocean Clean-Up Project?
A system that uses ocean currents to collect plastic debris.
How does The Great Pacific Garbage Patch impact marine life?
It harms marine life and causes toxic build-up in the food chain.
Explain why improper disposal of material contributes to pollution.
It leads to harmful emissions and chemical leaching.
Describe two key ways recycling contributes to combating climate change.
Reduces waste production and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Explain why does styrofoam never fully decomposes.
It breaks into smaller toxic particles but never fully decomposes.
Describe a successful milestone of the Ocean Clean-Up Project in 2021.
Conducted pilot tests with plants to scale up plastic debris collection.
What are micro plastics and why are they dangerous to ecosystems?
Tiny plastic particles that disrupt ecosystems and enter the food chain.