Municipal solid waste (MSW) is all of the garbage, refuse, trash, or junk that gets thrown away from homes and small businesses. All of this MSW is collected and taken away. Have you ever wondered where it goes?
In the 1950s and 60s, it went to open dumps. In the 1970s, landfills were established, but there were problems, and today there is new legislation and technology to better manage this waste.
You will review the history of MSW and complete the Worksheet. Complete all of the sections on this worksheet, and submit it to the Submitted Assignments area of the classroom.
Introduction
A good paper should start with background information on the topic to be discussed, define important terms, and explain why the topic is important to the reader.For this assignment's introduction, you willanswer the following questions:
What is municipal solid waste?
How was waste dealt with before industrialization?
Why did this process have to change?
Body of Paper
The body of your paper should consist of several paragraphs, one to address each of the main topics of your paper.For this week's assignment, address the following points with at least 1 paragraph each:
1. Describe an open dump. What environmental problems do open dumps cause?
2. Describe an early landfill, and how these differ from open dumps. What problems are associated with early landfills?This should include a discussion of leachate, methane, incomplete decomposition, and settling.
3. Describe a modern landfill.What are the differences as compared to early landfills?
4. Choose 1 of the following landfills, and explain the innovations being implemented to make the landfill more productive and to reduce its environmental impact:
o Mariannhill Landfill, South Africa
o Puente Hills Landfill, California
o Altamont Landfill, California
o Tessman Road Landfill, Texas