Consumable Products In Landfills

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Every day, we buy and use all kinds of goods, from foods to cosmetics to paper products. Consumable goods are items that can be used for a short period before they are thrown away. Paper towels, light bulbs, batteries, and clothing are a few examples of the many consumable goods found throughout the home. Some consumable goods, such as plastic drink bottles, are thrown away after being used only once.
Trash build-up

Consumable goods harm the environment in many ways. Every piece of trash that is thrown away is either taken to a landfill, where it is buried, or to an incinerator, where it is burned. In 2006, Americans created 251 million tons (227.7 million metric tons) of trash. Currently, 55 percent of the trash in the United States gets buried in landfills. This amount of trash is so great that more and more landfills have to be created …show more content…

Plastic is a synthetic (human-made) material and takes much longer to decompose than natural materials. Plastic items take many lifetimes to decompose in landfills.

Many consumable goods contain substances that can pollute the environment after they are discarded. When these items are buried in landfills, chemicals can seep into the soil and contaminate underground water sources. When they are burned in incinerators, they can release harmful pollutants into the air.
GREEN FACT

Throughout the world, factories that create bottled water use 18 million barrels of oil and 41 billion gallons (155 billion liters) of fresh water every day.
Use of natural resources
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Natural resources are used to make consumable goods. Trees are cut down so their wood can be used to make paper items. Metal is mined from the ground and used to make food and drink cans. Petroleum (also called oil) is drilled from deep underground and used to make plastic consumable items, such as water bottles, food containers, shampoo bottles, toys, and packaging.
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