Discussion Question on Waste Management

Homework Help

1. Explain the difference between the two phrases, “Made from recycled materials” and “Made from recyclable materials”. Which is environmentally preferable? How can your purchasing choices help reduce the need for more mining and more landfills? (10 pts.)

2. NIMBY= Not In My Backyard… a phrase that explains how people feel about essential services municipalities need to provide that are not necessarily sightly or healthy. Would you rather have a municipal landfill or an incinerator in your backyard? (If you live in a rural part of Florida, you might actually have both– on a family scale!) Explain your choice. (10 pts.)

3. We are getting to the point in the course where the linkages among topics are becoming increasingly clear. Ponder the connections among human population growth, food and water resources and and waste (and energy, which is coming up!). If soils are increasingly degraded and food and water is increasingly limited for a growing population, how can a change in waste management practices become a solution for some of those food, water (and energy) challenges? (10 pts.)

Answer preview

Recyclable and Recycled Materials

“Made from recycled materials” means a product was made from material that was reused to create a new product, while made from recyclable materials” imply that the product was made from waste that was treated  through industrial processes and can be used again after they have been treated (Berg, Hager, and Hassenzahl, 2011). Products made from recyclable materials are environmentally preferable because they don`t use natural resources every time and reduce impacts of landfills in the environment compared to recycled materials that may leave portions of waste in the environment degrading the natural resources. However, recyclable packaging poses a risk to the environment because…

 

(450 words)