Waste Stream
Chapter 23
AP Environmental Science
Results from the Waste Audit
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Whole Food – 18- 669.46g
5%
Scrap Food – 39- 1051.84
8%
Paper Waste – 309, 2,636.14g
21%
Plastic #1-2 -93, 2,406.83g
19%
Non-recyclable plastic #6-226, 231g 2%
Milk Carton 42, 1,249.46g
10%
Aluminum- 11, 210.04g
2%
Other 126, 3892.18g
31%
Total mass 864, 12,346.96 g
Waste Stream Defined
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The steady flow of varied wastes that we all
produce, from domestic garbage and yard
waste to industrial, commercial and
construction waste.
Composition of Waste Stream in US
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Total 11 Billion Tons of Solid Waste
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6 Billion is Agricultural Waste (now some of these
are recycled back on the farm)
4.5+ Billion is Industrial/ Commercial Waste (of
this 60 million is considered Hazardous Waste)
Approximately 220 million tons is considered
municipal
(For every 1 can of garbage you put at the curb,
70 garbage cans full are created in the making of
products (The Story of Stuff, 2009)
Types of waste
Not as simple
The Terms we use for Waste
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Organic Waste- kitchen waste, vegetables. Flowers,
leaves and fruit
Recyclable Waste- paper, glass, metals and plastics
Soiled Waste/ Medical Waste- hospital waste
Toxic Waste- old medicines, paints, chemicals and spray
cans, fertilizers and pesticide containers, batteries etc.
Biological Waste/Medical Waste- are generated during
the diagnosis or treatment at hospital facilities,
immunizations, research, production of treatments,
cultures, anatomical waste, etc. It has been estimated that
for every four pounds of waste generated by a hospital
setting one pound contains infectious materials.
Municipal Solid Waste
Composition of Solid Waste in World
By the numbers!
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The following slides
will be questions and
the answers are one
of the numbers to the
left. You may have
seen some of these
before!
Question 1
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_____ million liters of
waste motor oil are
dumped into sewers
or onto land each
year in the United
States (5 times as
much oil that leaked
out of Exxon Valdez
spill)
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 1

200 million liters of
waste motor oil are
dumped into sewers
or onto land each
year in the United
States (5 times as
much oil that leaked
out of Exxon Valdez
spill)
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 2
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The United States,
with 5% of the world’s
population, generates
____ of the world’s
total waste.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 2
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The United States,
with 5% of the world’s
population, generates
30 of the world’s total
waste.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 3
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____ gallon of
gasoline or oil can
pollute 1 million
gallons of freshwater.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 3
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1 gallon of gasoline or
oil can pollute 1
million gallons of
freshwater.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 4
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The highest recycling
rate in the country is
____%. The state
with this recycling rate
is Minnesota.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 4
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The highest recycling
rate in the country is
46%. The state with
this recycling rate is
Minnesota.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 5
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Waste from all
categories in the
United States works
out to be ______
pounds per person.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 5
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Waste from all
categories in the
United States works
out to be 10,000
pounds per person.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 6
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____ million trees a
day are harvested in
the United States for
paper products.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 6
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2 million trees a day
are harvested in the
United States for
paper products.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 7
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____ of all solid
wastes are mine
tailings and smelter
residue.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 7
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1/3 of all solid wastes
are mine tailings and
smelter residue.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 8
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Of all heavy-metal
toxic wastes, _____%
come from consumer
electronics and
batteries.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 8
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Of all heavy-metal
toxic wastes, 90%
come from consumer
electronics and
batteries.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200
Question 9
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2/3 of all aluminum
cans are recycled.
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30
10,000
1/3 (one-third)
1
2/3 (two-thirds)
46
2
90
200