Landfills & More
What is a landfill?
(A) A place where we bury trash in the ground
(B) A park where people can play sports
(C) A school where kids learn about garbage
(D) A place where it's against the law to recycle
(A) A place where we bury trash in the ground
What does "reuse" mean?
A. Throw something away after one use
B. Use something again instead of throwing it away
C. Break something into small pieces
B. Use something again instead of throwing it away
About how long does it take a plastic water bottle to break down in a landfill?
A. 1 year
B. 10 years
C. 450 years
D. It never breaks down
C. 450 years
How long does it take a paper towel to break down?
A) A few weeks
B) 1 year
C) 10 years
D) 100 years
A) A few weeks
Which of these plastic items is most likely to be accepted in curbside recycling?
A) A plastic grocery bag
B) A clean plastic peanut butter jar
C) A plastic straw
B) A clean plastic peanut butter jar
Where does our trash go when we throw it away?
(a) To the ocean
(b) To a landfill.
(c) To the sun.
(d) To the moon.
(b) To a landfill.
What does it mean to recycle?
A) To throw things away in any bin.
B) To make new things from old things.
C) To keep things exactly as they are forever.
B) To make new things from old things.
How long does it take a banana peel to break down in a landfill?
A. A few days
B. About 2 to 5 weeks
C. 10 years
D. 100 years
B. About 2 to 5 weeks
About how long does it take an aluminum can to break down in a landfill?
A) 5 years
B) 80–100 years
C) 200 years
D) 500 years
B) 80–100 years
Before recycling a cardboard pizza box, what should you do?
A) Throw the whole thing in the trash
B) Fold it up to make it smaller
C) Remove the greasy parts
D) Wash it with soap
C) Remove the greasy parts
Why do we put trash in a landfill?
(a) To make a giant hill.
(b) To keep it all in one safe place.
(c) To feed the wild animals.
(d) To make new toys.
(b) To keep it all in one safe place.
How can we reduce paper waste at school?
A) Write really bigB) Use both sides of the paper
C) Use only paper with lines
B) Use both sides of the paper
How long might it take a glass bottle to break down in a landfill?
A. 50 years
B. 100 years
C. 1,000 years or more
D. It melts instantly
C. 1,000 years or more
What material takes the longest to break down in a landfill?
A) Plastic bag
B) Banana peel
C) Aluminum can
D) Glass bottle
D) Glass bottle
Which of these items should not go in the recycling bin, even though it’s made of paper?
A) Newspaper
B) Colored construction paper
C) Paper towel
D) Notebook paper
C) Paper towel
Besides new bottles, what else can plastic be made into?
(A) Clothing. (B) Playground equipment. (C) Toothbrushes. (D) All the Above.
(D) All the Above.
What is one-way students can encourage others to recycle?
A) Tell friends and family why recycling is important
B) Hide all the trash cans so no one can find them
C) Throw everything in the recycling bin
D) Stop using trash cans completely
A) Tell friends and family why recycling is important
How long does it take a paper bag to break down in a landfill?
A. 1 month
B. 2 to 6 weeks
C. 5 years
D. 100 years
B. 2 to 6 weeks
You throw away a chewing gum wrapper made of foil. How long might it take to break down?
A) 5 years
B) 20 years
C) 100 years
D) It depends, but many foil wrappers never fully break down
D) It depends, but many foil wrappers never fully break down
Which of these belongs in the recycling bin?
A) Crumpled aluminum can
B) Used tissue
C) Candy wrapper
A) Crumpled aluminum can
What is composting?
(A) Throwing all your trash in one big bin. (B) Mixing different kinds of food to make a yummy snack. (C) Letting food scraps and yard waste break down into something good for plants. (D) Burning leaves and sticks in your backyard.
(C) Letting food scraps and yard waste break down into something good for plants.
What does it mean to be environmentally responsible?
A) Using natural resources wisely and helping protect the Earth
B) Throwing trash into nature if no one is watching
C) Only caring about the environment on Earth Day
D) Using paper instead of plastic for everything
A) Using natural resources wisely and helping protect the Earth
About how long can a single-use plastic straw last in a landfill or the environment?
A. 1 year
B. 5 years
C. 200 years
D. 10 days
C. 200 years
How long does it take a plastic bag to break down?
A) 1 week
B) 10 years
C) 100 years
D) 500–1,000 years
D) 500–1,000 years
Glass can usually be recycled, but which type is NOT accepted in most recycling bins?
A) Glass jar
B) Drinking glass
C) Glass salsa jar
B) Drinking glass