ENVSYS chapter 19 review

An example of something that is biodegradable is

• a leaf in a compost pile.

• a plastic milk jug in a landfill.

• a polystyrene burger container in a trash can.

• All of the above.

The total amount of solid waste generated in the U.S. in the last 40 years

• has doubled.

• has tripled.

• has not changed.

• None of the above.

The average person living in the United States produces

• about 400 pounds of solid waste per year.

• about 4 pounds of solid waste per month.

• about 4 pounds of solid waste per day.

• about 400 pounds of solid waste per day.

From 1970 to the present, the percentage of waste that is recycled has

• decreased from 28% to 6.6%.

• increased from 6.6% to 28%.

• decreased from 28% to 19.6%.

• remained the same.

Which of the following are problems associated with landfills?

• source reduction and composting

• surface improvement and leachate

• leachate and methane production

• All of the above.

An example of source reduction is

• composting.

• All of the above.

• recycling.

• using canvas shopping bags.

Making products from recycled materials

• is limited to metals.

• can save energy and other resources during the manufacturing process.

• uses so much energy that it is not economically workable.

• None of the above.

Which of the following is not a benefit of composting?

• reducing the need for fertilizers

• anything can be composted

• providing nutrients to the soil

• protecting soil from erosion

The difference between photodegradable plastic and green plastic is

• green plastic degrades chemically, while photodegradable plastic does not.

• green plastic takes three to four times longer to degrade than does photodegradable plastic.

• photodegradable plastic uses sunlight to degrade, while green plastic uses soil bacteria to degrade.

• photodegradable plastic degrades chemically, while green plastic does not.

Which of the following is the easiest to recycle?

• soft-drink can

• computers

• single-serving drink box

• batteries