Ok i need a little help please?

Question

i have to do this final project for my partisipation in government class and my final project is on how to reduce the nations garbage problem, and i am getting stuck on what else to put into my power point, i have already: recycling, machinery that is used to recyle, and thats about it!!!

Answer 1

Incentives to manufacturers to use less packaging, or less harmful packaging. It's better to make incentives to make less waste, then to penalize for more waste. Other thing is the internet has many groups you can join where you offer up stuff you don't need for free. Others in the group receive the details and offer to come take it off your hands. You can also post wanted, and many, many times will be offered something for no charge from someone else in your group. No waste at all in that way.

Answer 2

And use a spell checker before you hand in your assignment.

Answer 3

Hi, so I've read through some of your answers already. Let's try and keep this simple, hope this helps.

1. A lot of rubbish isn't biodegradable which means we have a serious problem with landfill. The stuff we're throwing in will still be around for centuries to come and sooner or later we will run out of space. Packaging could simply be made biodegradable, by law, and it would help. Also, landfill destroys that land for a certain period of time, and it isn't a short time period. Our planet isnt a toilet, we need to curb the landfill situation before the whole place gets shat on.

2. People should be educated in the importance of recycling - a lot of people throw paper bags in the bin, throw out plastic bottles, glass bottles, cardboard boxes, etc, all of these items could be recycled. Education is needed as this could reduce the landfill sites by.... I haven't researched, but I guess up to half.  

3. Swap meets (from Pesca 78) is a good idea - you have this website - www.freecycle.org - that's a perfect example and should be encouraged more.

4. I dont know how recycling is done in the US. But I'm in the UK and over here we have a system where the government comes and takes our rubbish and on another day takes our recycling. It's simple and the taxes we already pay pays for it.  

Hope this helps. I read through some of your answers and you seem to have a lot of sensible suggestions.

Answer 4

What about the encouragement of swap meets, "found object" art, and bartering systems that allow people to trade goods that they no longer need rather than throwing them away.

Answer 5

Hi, how about a great big furnace that burns not recycleable material, and a machine that grinds up foods etc to be used as compost. hope this helps and good luck

Answer 6

How about recycling clothes,household goods through salvation Army, Goodwill Industries ,or Am vets. There is also A paint recycling program located in the small shed at the Cary Village recycle lot located on route 14 on the north side of the road. They also turn tree cuttings into free mulch for anyone to take keeping it out of the land fills, I think they also collect clothes and small household goods there also.  Someone at the village hall or the garage across the street could give you some details. The paint is free for the taking as far as I know , it comes from paint stores and contractors who have a surplus. Don't know if you can use any of this.

Answer 7

Composting is another way to cut back on what ends up in the garbage - vegetable scraps thrown away in a plastic bag in the landfill will not breakdown because the plastic bag doesn't break down.  But those same scraps put into a well functioning compost pile will not only naturally breakdown - leaving behind no toxic remains - they'll also provide food for microorganisms.  

Using non-toxic cleaning items around the house also helps reduce the amount of items in the landfills.  Best wishes for your final project.

Answer 8

how about dealing the garbage at the root of the problem: the stuff people buy. you could talk about reducing consumption, which would automatically reduce waste. and the types of materials we use to make productes (i.e. staying away from plastics and styrofoam, etc.) will make the garbage that is created more biodegradable.

Answer 9

Technically the US does not have a garbage problem, except for the people who do not know how to dispose of things properly. What I mean is, as of today there is always going to be some state, county, municipality or private land owner willing to create another giant landfill to put our c**p in.

Where there is a major problem  is the massive amounts of toxic leachate that is seeping from our landfills. This is because we currently do very little recycling and toxic material collection. In most cases municipalities have their budgets slashed and the first thing to go is environmental stewardship.

Also what is very sad in the US is there are currently a lot of people who are unwilling to even pay for simple trash service, let alone how can we expect them to pay for recycling as well.

What was started in Germany in the 90's was a pay by the weight trash service that was limited by the size of your can, with recycling being free. This starts at the consumer level where items purchased in the store are unwrapped of there shipping material and the store then must be required to handle that waste, thus crating a partnership with the manufacture to reclaim the material in order for their products to be sold.

Last I would need to mention that it seems to me the US has a very small understanding of preservation of resourses and a lack of carring for  future gernerations. I'm not one to point fingers, but the religious right, it seems these people are h**l bent on destroying everything and living for the "here and now". I wish I was wrong but in the last seven years this has really come to light.

Answer 10

People who are aware of the need for recycling already recycle.  When I go to the dump I see tons of material that could be recycled that people are too lazy or uncaring throw out with trash.  I believe we need to start make laws that will punish people who throw out recyclable materials.  We cite people for littering, why not cite them for not recycling.

Answer 11

the problem is that garbage is packaging that companies make money on, why do you pay more for buying cereal with lucky on it? or with tucan sam? without the box there is no product differentiation because its the same thing, 99% of the garbage we can help with is mainly this stuff because, its not needed and  something could be done unlike shipping packaging etc, and its what most people dump on the street beaches etc

Answer 12

how about you eat the garbage? that would work out too

Answer 13

Must have compost bins or compost heap on every house.  All compostable, including packaging must be put in.  Must keep it moist.  Can cover with old carpet.  Useful for flowers and vegetables next year.  Almost 75% of the househols waste can be recycled this way.  Benefits the garden.  Saves a trip to the dump.