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Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following would result in the largest reduction in volume of municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills?

Introduce composting programs for yard trimmings and food waste

Is a flammable gas produced by landfills

Methane

Which of the following is the greatest component (by weight) of municipal solid waste in the United States?

Paper

Establishes cradle-to-grave tracking of hazardous waste

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Which of the following laws gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave", including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste?

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Which method is used most frequently in the United States today?

Sanitary landfill

Which of the following best explains why more contaminants are leached when solid waste is crushed into small particles and put in contact with water than when the particles are large?

Smaller particles have a larger surface area per unit volume than larger particles.

Which of the following identifies an unintended result from recycling programs?

When items are placed in recycling that cannot be recycled, the cost of recycling increases.

Incineration is one solution to reduce the volume of municipal solid waste. Municipal solid waste can be used to produce energy at waste-to-energy plants. Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following materials would be best suited for incineration to reduce total volume, produce energy, and have minimal release of air pollutants?

Wood

Many homeowners are unaware that their garbage may contain hazardous waste, which should be taken to a designated hazardous waste dump site instead of being placed in their regular trash. All of the following are considered household hazardous waste EXCEPT

food scraps

In the United States, most municipal solid waste is disposed of by

landfilling

In the United States, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is

paper

Which of the following describes a component of a modern sanitary landfill?

A bottom liner of plastic or clay to prevent groundwater contamination

Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?

Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act

Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following strategies would best increase the total volume of municipal solid waste being recycled?

Enacting a single-stream recycling program and providing bins to residential homes

Assuming consistent yearly rainfall amounts, what is the volume of leachate, in m3m3, that the landfill will be able to treat per year?

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Which method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into the atmosphere?

Incineration

Critics of incineration of municipal solid waste suggests that it may not be the best solution for the future, for which of the following reasons?

Incineration contributes to air pollution.

Of the following, which is the primary method of waste disposal in the United States?

Landfilling

Of the following, which is the most serious immediate problem associated with sanitary landfills?

Leachate contamination of groundwater

Most plastics pose a special problem in the waste stream because they

decompose slowly, if at all, and persist as solid waste

Most municipal solid waste in the United States is disposed of in

sanitary landfills