November 15th this year is America Recycles Day, and while I’m sure everyone will do their part and recycle, have you ever wondered what happens to items once you throw them out? Where exactly does our trash go?
I’m Michelle Lewis from SHU’s Discovery Science Center & Planetarium in Bridgeport, CT, and this is Discovery Deep Dive.
After being picked up, the first destination for your trash is a transfer station. These are temporary holding sites for trash, where materials are sorted into groups. Typically, the trash is sorted by where it’s going next. There are 3 main destinations for trash-a sorting and recycling facility, a waste-to-energy facility, or a landfill. Sorting and recycling facilities help conserve our natural resources and reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills. At waste-to-energy sites, garbage is burned, and the gas byproducts are captured to generate energy or heat. The most common method for this is through incineration. Landfills are the endpoints for municipal waste that is not recycled or burned. They are specially engineered facilities designed to accept waste and protect the environment from contaminants.
Of course, there are some less common methods of waste disposal. Some organic matter can be sent to composting facilities, which shred discarded foods and plants and transform them into energy supplies and fertilizers for municipal use. Also, some of our inorganic, non-recyclable waste (typically those of a toxic variety) are shipped overseas to be dealt with by someone else.
Now you know where your trash goes. Was there any information that you didn’t know or surprised you? For more information on America Recycles day, tips on recycling, or just recycling in general visit these websites:
https://kab.org/our-signature-programs/america-recycles-day/
https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/america-recycles-day
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics-and-benefits
