Climate Change Waste Management & Recycling 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'wishcycling' and why is it a problem?
- Donating used goods hoping someone will reuse them
- Putting non-recyclable items in the recycling bin hoping they will be recycled, which contaminates loads (Correct answer)
- A community wishlist for new recycling programs
- Recycling items that have sentimental value
Correct answer: Putting non-recyclable items in the recycling bin hoping they will be recycled, which contaminates loads
Wishcycling contaminates recycling streams with non-recyclable materials, which can cause entire loads to be sent to landfill.
Question 2: Which sector generates the largest share of solid waste in the United States?
- Residential households
- Industrial and manufacturing
- Commercial and institutional
- Construction and demolition (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Construction and demolition
Construction and demolition (C&D) debris accounts for more than twice the volume of municipal solid waste generated in the US each year.
Question 3: What climate benefit does reducing food waste offer beyond just avoiding landfill methane?
- It eliminates the need for composting facilities
- It reduces the agricultural land, water, and energy used to produce food that was wasted (Correct answer)
- It lowers ocean plastic pollution
- It directly reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Correct answer: It reduces the agricultural land, water, and energy used to produce food that was wasted
Every unit of food wasted also wastes all the land, water, fertilizer, energy, and transportation embedded in producing and delivering that food.
Question 4: What is anaerobic digestion in the context of waste management?
- Burning organic waste at high temperatures to produce ash
- Breaking down organic waste with bacteria in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas and digestate (Correct answer)
- Composting food scraps in open-air windrows
- Chemically treating wastewater before releasing it
Correct answer: Breaking down organic waste with bacteria in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas and digestate
Anaerobic digestion uses microorganisms to break down organic matter without oxygen, producing methane-rich biogas that can generate electricity and heat.
Question 5: How does a circular economy differ from a linear economy in managing materials?
- A circular economy focuses solely on recycling plastic, while a linear economy recycles all materials
- A linear economy creates, uses, and discards products, while a circular economy keeps materials in use through reuse, repair, and recycling (Correct answer)
- A circular economy is government-managed while a linear economy is market-driven
- Both approaches have the same environmental impact but different costs
Correct answer: A linear economy creates, uses, and discards products, while a circular economy keeps materials in use through reuse, repair, and recycling
A linear 'take-make-dispose' economy generates large waste streams, while a circular economy is designed to keep products and materials in use as long as possible.
Question 6: Which plastic resin code is generally the most widely accepted by US curbside recycling programs?
- #3 (PVC)
- #6 (Polystyrene)
- #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) (Correct answer)
- #7 (Other)
Correct answer: #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE)
PET (#1, used in water bottles) and HDPE (#2, used in milk jugs) have strong end markets and are accepted by the vast majority of US curbside programs.
Question 7: What is 'zero waste' as a goal for cities and organizations?
- Eliminating all recycling programs in favor of incineration
- Diverting at least 90% of discarded materials from landfills and incinerators through reuse, recycling, and composting (Correct answer)
- Producing zero carbon emissions from waste facilities
- Banning all single-use products within city limits
Correct answer: Diverting at least 90% of discarded materials from landfills and incinerators through reuse, recycling, and composting
Zero waste programs aim to divert 90% or more of waste from disposal through redesigning systems so that discarded materials become resources.
Climate Change Waste Management & Recycling 3
What is 'wishcycling' and why is it a problem?