b. June 1st, 2011
c. Biodegradable Products May be Bad For The Environment <-- Link to article.
d. Chapter 22: Solid and Hazardous Wastes
e. The EPA has done studies that show that only about 35% of municipal solid waste goes to landfills that capture methane for energy use, another 34% of landfills capture methane and burn it off on-site, while 31% allow the methane to escape. Methane can be a valuable energy source when it is captured but can be a harmful greenhouse gas when in the atmosphere. This study shows that biodegradable products are not more environmentally friendly when disposed of in landfills. Items are classified as biodegradable if they can decompose in a "reasonably short amount of time." Although this may seem like a good thing that it is being decomposed rapidly, it can have negative impacts because some landfills don't collect methane from the waste 2 years after it is buried. In this case, all the methane would have escaped into the atmosphere and less methane being used for energy.
f. I think that landfills shouldn't wait two years to collect the methane that escapes, because of the waste that decomposes quickly, if they collect the methane shortly after being buried to increase the amount of methane available for energy production and decrease the amount being let out into the atmosphere which increases the harmful effects of greenhouse gases. I think it is great that these tests are being done and understanding that just because they are biodegradable doesn't necessarily mean that it is better for the environment. I found this article very informative and surprising.
g. municipal waste- is a type of waste that includes predominately household waste with sometimes the addition of commercial wastes collected within a given area.
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