I have never worried about recycling because I always figered that trash rotted away but a friend of mine told me that trash I threw away 10 years ago is still in the landfill. I guess I need to start to take the time out to recycle.
2007-02-27 00:45:13 · 9 answers · asked by Paul C 1 in Environment
glass and styrofoam never decompose! everything else takes a long time, so please recycle- it isn't that hard once you get used to it!
2007-02-27 00:52:10 · answer #1 · answered by Susan H 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, your friend is probably right landfills are not designed to expedite the process of breaking down waste.
They are designed to store massive quantities and reduce the sight and smell of such waste. Most biological processes are aerobic, including the processes primarily responsible for breaking down waste. When you bury it you severely limit the amount of oxygen available to the process. So by their very design landfills are hindering the process more than expediting it.
So recycling is always a good idea it will reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and your recycled item can return to use many times over.
2007-02-27 09:04:59 · answer #2 · answered by Brian K² 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what is thrown away. Plastic containers remain in their solid form for a long time unless high temperatures melt it.
Papers will become soft once wet and harden if the paper isn't touched. Chewing gum is biodgradable, which means it will melt in the sun and will not got back to it's original form.
Recycling helps preserve the environment. Certain items can be recycled; paper, aluminum cans, cardboard boxes or similar material, glass, and all types of plastic.
Hope this helps
2007-02-27 10:23:12 · answer #3 · answered by dymps 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depends on the trash.
Most trash burried dozens of feet deep in a landfill mountain will not decompose for decades due to lack of air, water, bacteria, etc.
Plastics: Hundreds to thousands of years.
Glass: Dozens to thousands of years.
Metals, cans, aluminum foil: Dozens to hundreds of years.
Paper: Dozens to hundreds of years.
Food: Dozens to hundreds of years.
In a compost pile, food we decompose in a few days to a month.
Plastics, glass, metal, and paper can be recycled in a few hours.
Yes it IS time to recycle.
2007-02-27 08:58:45 · answer #4 · answered by TLG 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A banana skin will take a few weeks to decay. Paper a few months. Plastics that you throw away will probably still be there for future generations.
2007-02-27 08:49:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
it depends on the state of the trash that u threw away, and the weather and conditions under which u threw the trash away.
2007-02-27 08:51:09 · answer #6 · answered by pur_cess 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
you turdo you KNOW your sopppose to recyle you do you want to save the earth well ttake a look around you dumbo
2007-02-27 09:05:54 · answer #7 · answered by Catherine 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it takes one second
2007-02-27 08:48:02 · answer #8 · answered by ebonygirl1011 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
3days
2007-02-27 08:51:28 · answer #9 · answered by jason k 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋