Solid Waste
Vocab Words
Hazardous Waste
Reducing Waste
Plastics
100

This special type of solid waste refers specifically to waste that is discarded in homes, offices, and in general daily.

What is municipal [solid waste]?

100

A term for waste that is able to be broken down by natural processes.

What is biodegradable?

100

Name an example of a hazardous waste.

Answers vary but can include: batteries, computers, cleaners, motor oils, paints, phones, pesticides, fertilizers, and more.

100

This method of waste reduction involves taking common wastes such as glass, plastic, and paper and making it reusable through a series of steps.

What is recycling?

100

Plastic has become a major issue because it is unable to be broken down by natural processes, otherwise known as being ___________.

What is non-biodegradable?

200

This special type of solid waste includes overproduced products, defective products, and scrap metal as a few examples.

What is manufacturing waste?

200

This type of waste is known to be a risk to the health of humans and other animals.

What is hazardous waste?

200

Hazardous wastes are sometimes burned in this specially designed chamber that produces extremely high temperatures. This is also one of the most expensive methods of hazardous waste disposal.

What is an incinerator? (can also accept incinerating. Cannot accept burning).

200

This is the first step in the recycling process, and also the step that you are able to complete yourselves.

What is collection? [Can also accept any explanation of putting stuff in a recycling bin. Multiple acceptable answers]

200

This is the name of a film documentary about the issues with plastic dumping that we spent 3 days in class watching together.

What is "A Plastic Ocean?" [Must be exact title]

300

This special type of solid waste refers to excess rocks and dirt excavated when digging for resources.

What is mining waste?

300

This term refers to an area where waste is often dumped, often permanently.

What is a landfill?

300

This method of waste disposal involves taking liquid waste and injecting it deep underground to be absorbed in dry, rocky layers of the Earth.

What is deep-well injection?

300

This method of waste reduction recycles organic material into products like fertilizers and soil enhancers.

What is composting?

300

This special type of plastic becomes very brittle when exposed to the sun for an extended period of time.

What is photodegradable plastic?

400

This special type of solid waste includes crop wastes and manure.

What is agricultural waste?

400

This term describes a liquid that seeps through solid waste in a landfill. This liquid is usually deemed hazardous.

What is leachate?

400
Under this act, producers of hazardous waste are required to keep an set of records showing how their wastes are handled.

What is the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act? (RCR or RCRA are fine)

400

This method of waste reduction involves changing the design or manufacturing of a product well before it is ever actually produced.

What is source reduction?

400

This is a special type of plastic that is made partially with the help of plant sugars. This type of plastic can begin to degrade 1-2 months after being discarded.

What is green plastic?

500

This example of waste also makes up the largest % of discarded municipal solid waste.

What is paper?

500

This term describes a human-made depression designed to hold a variety of wastes. This depression is often filled with water for evaporation, so it must be built with a sealed bottom layer.

What is a surface impoundment?

500

Under the Superfund Act, nearly 1200 sites across the US have been labeled as illegally dumping hazardous waste. Of these 1200 sites, only this amount of sites have actually been cleaned.

What is 75?

500

This is the percentage (%) of energy saved by producing an aluminum can from recycled materials instead of aluminum ore.

What is 95%?

500

Explain the main problem with degradable plastics.

Degradable plastics do not fully break down.