Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Waste Pollution - Coggle Diagram
Waste Pollution
Causes
Landfill
- burying rubbish in holes in the ground
- the most popular form of disposal (cheap)
- This liquid (rain) + substances in the landfill =
a toxic fluid 'leachate' leak out and causes water pollution
if leachate contaminates groundwater - irreversible damage.
- Organic waste produce landfill gas (contains methane)
Cigarette butts
- the most pop form of litter
- 38% of road litter
- if thrown out of a car - wildfires
- block drains - cause floods - toxins seep into crops
- leach lead, arsenic and cadmium into soil and water
- may be eaten by animals, children (toxic!)
Chewing gum
- 250 000 tons of waste annually
- 2 million - annual disposal and collection
- second most popular form of litter
- 92% urban paving stones have gum stuck to them
- isn't biodegradable (synthetic plastics)
- fish consumes gums with toxins - we eat this fish
- Rev7 - a sustainable alternative to a gum (dissolves in water, easier to remove, disintegrates into powder)
- chicle-based gums - natural form of rubber, biodegradable
Solutions
Clean technology
- produce less waste
- develop so called 'clean technologies' - alter industrial processes
Recycling
If waste cannot be eliminated, it should be reused.At a domestic level:
- reduction in packaging
- buying products made from recycled materials
- fixed point collection facilities (bottle banks, door-to-door collections)
Litter
More
What:
- cigarette buts
- banana peals
Where:
- open spaces
- along highways
Who:
- young ppl
- rural residents
- visitors
- single individuals
- male groups
Less
What:
Where:
- crowded places
- restaurants
- public parks
Who:
- older ppl 50+
- urban residents
- residents of this area
- married individuals
- groups with a female
-
Decomposition
Indefinitely - chewing gums, styrofoam
1 000 000 years - glass bottles
1000 years - plastic bags
450 years - disposable nappies, plastic bottles
200 years - aluminium cans
50 years - discarded tins
1-5 years - cigarette buts
6 months - leftovers (organic waste)
3 months - 30 years - takeaway wrappers
1-6 months - dog litter