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Worksheets

Waste

Total questions: 21

Worksheet time: 42mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following does NOT describe problems associated with modern landfills?

a)

Chemicals leaking out of the waste stored there may pollute wells or groundwater supplies.

b)

Materials buried in landfills decompose in three years.

c)

Explosive gases an be produced by landfills and may build up in the basements of nearby buildings.

d)

all of the above

2.

What is the most helpful thing a consumer can do to make sure that more materials are recycled?

a)

encourage friends and neibors to recycle their newspapers.

b)

Carefully wash and sort all materials put out for recycling.

c)

Write letters to legislators asking that recycling be made mandatory.

d)

Make an effort to buy products made form recycled materials whenever possible.

3.

Which produces the most solid waste?

a)

manufacturing

b)

plastic packaging

c)

agriculture

d)

nuclear power plants

4.

Which items make up the largest percentage of waste produced by households and buisinesses?

a)

aluminum cans

b)

plastic bottles and packaging

c)

paper products

d)

yard waste, such as grass clippings and tree limbs

5.

What percentage of the energy needed to make aluminum can from ore is needed to make recycled aluminum cans?

a)

95 %

b)

60%

c)

5%

d)

25%

6.

What is the best description of composting?

a)

Composting reduces the amount of garbage individuals send to the landfills, but large scale composting is impractical.

b)

Composting could reduce the amount of waste that restaurants, food processing plants, and animal feedlots send to landfills.

c)

Compost made from glass and plastic can be recycled and used as building materials.

d)

Yard waste, such as grass clippings, is not suitable for composting because it contains low levels of nutrients.

7.

Which of the following does NOT describe degradable plastics?

a)

Some plastics are designed to deteriorate, when exposed to sunlight.

b)

Plastic that contain sugars can be acted on by soil bacteria.

c)

Degradable plastics usually break down completely in damp environments.

d)

all of the above

8.

Which of the following is NOT considered hazardous waste?

a)

dead batteries such as those used in flashlights and radios.

b)

rotting meat and other food waste

c)

metals such as lead and mercury

d)

both a and c

9.

Under the Superfund Act,

a)

the EPA may sue companies that dump hazardous waste illegally in the United States.

b)

most of the dangerous toxic dump sites have been cleaned up.

c)

companies that cannot afford to clean up their hazardous waste can have the government pay for the cleanup.

d)

all of the above

10.

Some hazardous waste is disposed of by deep-well injection. This procedure

a)

pollutes the wells and water supplies of nearby residents.

b)

stores wastes in layers of dry rock below the water table.

c)

violates federal law.

d)

all of the above

11.

What is used to make "green plastic"?

a)

sugars from plants

b)

old plastic bottles

c)

discarded glass

d)

none of the above

12.

What is pumped out of landfills and used for fuel?

a)

crude oil

b)

coal

c)

methane

d)

uranium

13.

What would be the best way to keep yard waste out of landfills?

a)

keep it in plastic bags

b)

burn your yard waste

c)

composting

d)

wash it down the rain gutters

14.

What makes up most of municipal waste?

a)

paper

b)

plastic

c)

aluminum

d)

lawn clippings

15.

What is an example of a toxic waste site?

a)

Chernobyl

b)

Panama canal

c)

Love Canal

d)

none of the above

16.

Where does the waste end up when deep-well injection is used?

a)

In dry layers of rock below groundwater level.

b)

In water wells near the area of injection.

c)

In landfills.

d)

In the ocean.

17.

What type of waste cannot be broken down by natural means?

a)

biodegradable

b)

agricultural waste

c)

nonbiodegradable

d)

compost

18.

What can be used to clean up toxic spills?

a)

bacteria

b)

water under high pressure

c)

sand

d)

earth moving equipment

19.

How do they protect the ground water underneath landfills?

a)

bacteria

b)

plastic liners

c)

drainage pipes

d)

none of the above

20.

How much has the amount of solid waste produced in the United States increased since 1960?

a)

it is about the same

b)

it has decreased due to recycling

c)

it has tripled

d)

it has doubled

21.

Why can we not dispose of our trash by burning it in incinerators?

a)

Air pollution

b)

Problems disposing of the ash

c)

Creates toxins

d)

all of these