Solid Waste Stats
Landfill Logic
Plastic Problems
Hazards
Global Garbage
100

How much trash does one American make each day?

 What is 2.2 kilograms or 5 pounds?

100

What is the most common way trash is thrown away in the U.S.?

 What are sanitary landfills?

100

What kind of plastic trash is thrown away the most?

 What are plastic water bottles?

100

How many pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the land in the U.S. in one year?

 What is 3.4 billion pounds?

100

In 2019, how many kilograms of plastic waste did the U.S. send to other countries?

 What is 350 million kilograms?

200

 Do people in developed countries make more or less trash than people in developing countries?

 What is more?

200

Trash in landfills can leak into what important water sources underground?

 What is water wells, soil, and streams?

200

How many plastic bottles does the average American use each week?

 What is 3?

200

What two parts of the U.S. have the most toxic waste?

 What are the Midwest and Southeast?

200

What Asian country got over 100 million kilograms of U.S. plastic waste?

What is Malaysia?

300

What kind of material makes up most trash from homes and businesses?

What is paper?

300

 Since 1990, how much has the number of landfills gone down in the U.S.?

 What is by three-fourths?

300

Which Great Lake has the most plastic trash?

 What is Lake Michigan?

300

Name one dangerous metal often found in hazardous waste.

What is mercury (or cadmium or zinc)?

300

True or False: The U.S. keeps and processes all its plastic trash inside the country.

 What is False?

400

Which country makes the most trash per person?

What is the United States?

400

 In which U.S. state is the landfill shown in the book photo?

 What is California?

400

Only 1 out of every how many plastic bottles is recycled?

What is 6?

400

What U.S. group keeps track of toxic chemical waste?

 What is the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

400

 Why does the U.S. send trash to other countries?

 What is to save space in landfills?

500

Which country produces the most solid waste?

 What is the United States?

500

What’s one good thing about using big landfills instead of small dumps?

 What is more space or better waste control?

500

How many tons of plastic go into the Great Lakes each year?

What is 10,000 metric tons (22 million pounds)?

500

 What can happen to people if hazardous waste gets into the environment?

What are diseases like cancer or long-term health problems?

500

Why is it unfair that some countries get other countries’ trash?

 What is because it can hurt poor countries more?