Another large portion of solid waste that could be reduced and reused are compostable items. Food scraps and yard clippings can be composted, preventing them from going into landfills taking up unnecessary space. Instead after being composted, they can be returned to peoples gardens which enrich the soil greatly. Other items such as tires, aerosol cans, clothing, old furniture and such can be reused or recycled. To recycle these items, they must be brought to special locations that handle these items.
Recycling saves money, energy, raw materials and land space, while also reducing pollution.
The composition of materials recycled in the USA is illustrated in the following graph. Menu Objectives Learn what solid waste is and where it comes from. You will understand why solid waste is a major environmental concern. We will look at methods of reducing solid wastes and hazardous wastes. We will examine how much and what kinds of solid wastes you produce in a 24 hour period.