Solid Waste Takes Over
Figure 1. A typical garbage landfill.Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1983-2001.
In this lesson, students explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They collect classroom trash for analysis and build model landfills in order to understand the process and impact of solid waste management. Students will understand the role of engineers in solid waste management.
Engineers have quite a challenge to find better ways to get rid of our everyday garbage. Bioengineers design systems to destroy wastes and clean up contaminated soil and water. Today, some of our household garbage is recycled and the rest goes to landfills — pits with a protective liner — and each trash layer is covered with a thin layer of soil. Environmental engineers are developing new, innovative landfills to breakdown garbage and create gases, such as methane, used to generate electricity.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Understand and explain different methods of waste disposal.
- Explain some of the major problems caused by waste disposal and use of landfills.
- Understand and explain the role of engineers in solid waste management.
- Suggest ways to reduce the amount of solid waste going to a landfill.