Module 11 Quiz

From an environmental standpoint, refusing, reducing, and reusing are preferred over recycling because they are ____ approaches that tackle the problem of waste production at the front end. A. waste prevention B. green C. more feasible D. management E. integrated

A

What do workers in countries with cheap labor use to recover valuable metals from e-waste? A. Acid B. Heat C. Mercury D. Sharp knives E. Lead

A

What may have prevented the use of bioplastics in the past century? A. Oil became widely available and petrochemical plastics took over the market. B. Bioplastics were viewed as inferior materials. C. The materials needed for bioplastics was used for food. D. The technology for mass production of bioplastics was not yet available. E. Synthetic plastic producers had a strong government lobby.

A

What process involves the use of bacteria and enzymes to destroy hazardous substances? A. Bioremediation B. Composting C. Plasma gasification D. Phytoremediation E. Incineration

A

Which category most accurately describes waste such as food wastes, cardboard, cans, bottles, yard wastes, furniture, plastics, metal, glass, and e-waste? A. Municipal solid waste B. Municipal waste C. Solid waste D. E-waste E. Industrial solid waste

A

Which type of waste can a homeowner recycle in their backyard as part of a composting project? A. Vegetable food scraps B. Plastics C. Some metals D. Electronics E. Dead animals

A

If you live in the United States, you can find out what toxic chemicals are being stored and released in your neighborhood by ____. A. visiting the U.S. Library of Congress B. going to the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory website C. asking local manufactures to comply with the Toxic Substances Control Act D. obtaining a copy of the National Priorities List E. calling your local Superfund council

B

In the United States, approximately 67% by weight of all municipal solid waste is ____. A. dumped in the ocean B. buried in sanitary landfills C. recycled and reused D. sent to waste-to-energy incinerators E. shipped to foreign countries for disposal

B

Large volumes of liquid hazardous waste, often injected into deep disposal wells, is produced by ____. A. earthquakes B. fracking C. bioremediation D. petroleum production E. oil wells

B

Sanitary landfills typically have problems with ____. A. odor B. traffic, noise, and dust C. spread of disease D. high operating costs E. open, uncovered garbage

B

The fee-per-____ waste collection systems charge consumers for the amount of waste they throw away. A. product B. bag C. energy D. material E. unit

B

What is the primary reason many U.S. citizens, local governments, and environmental scientists oppose waste incineration? A. It is difficult to regulating incinerators. B. It undermines waste reduction strategies like reduce and reuse. C. It must burn a lot of trash to maintain profitability. D. It emits air pollutants. E. It is more expensive than landfills.

B

What is the result of using a pay-as-you-throw approach in San Francisco, California, USA? A. The city raised its taxes as a result of stringent recycling requirements. B. The city recycled, composted, or reused 80% of its municipal solid waste (MSW). C. The city lost 37 garbage pickup workers. D. The city became the most expensive place to live in the United States. E. The city created a severe littering problem.

B

What process involves the use of plants to remove contaminants from polluted soil and water? A. Plasma gasification B. Phytoremediation C. Composting D. Bioremediation E. Incineration

B

Denmark has banned all ____ that cannot be reused. A. packaging B. plastics C. beverage containers D. grocery bags E. batteries

C

It can take 400 to 1,000 years to break down ____ that end up in landfills or the ocean. A. disposable coffee cups B. aluminum cans C. plastic bags D. glass bottles E. batteries

C

Of the two types of dumps utilized for solid waste, open dumps ____. A. are vermin free B. are the most environmentally friendly C. are rare in more developed countries D. cover wastes with clay or plastic foam E. have little odor

C

The bottoms and sides of ____ have strong double liners and containment systems that collect the liquids. A. open dumps B. recycling centers C. sanitary landfills D. single-pickup systems E. waste incinerators

C

The fastest growing solid waste in the world is from ____. A. automobiles B. tires C. electronics D. diapers E. carpet

C

Using charcoal or resins to filter out harmful solids is a ____ method. A. physiological B. geological C. physical D. biological E. chemical

C

What approach do many analysts call for in approaching our waste problems? A. Waste management only B. Recycling only C. Integrated waste management D. Reusing only E. Waste reduction only

C

What kind of waste is hospital medical waste? A. E-waste B. Biogenic waste C. Toxic waste D. Solid waste E. Industrial waste

C

What variety of hazardous waste does not have a scientifically and politically acceptable way of disposal? A. E-waste B. Medical waste C. Nuclear D. Pesticides E. Coal ash

C

When using composting piles, it is important to _____. A. fertilize the compost pile B. avoid adding weeds and other plants C. mix or rotate them and avoid adding hazardous materials D. dispose of the compost on a regular basis E. avoid adding food products or similar items

C

Which country is the world's largest producer of solid waste? A. Russia B. India C. United States D. China E. Brazil

C

Where will your old cell phone likely end up if you were to throw it away today? A. Recycling center B. China C. Landfill D. Waterways E. India

C?

Cities that make money by recycling and that have higher recycling rates tend to use a ____ for both recyclable and non-recyclable materials. A. fee structure B. multi-pickup system C. subsidy incentive D. single-pickup system E. integrated-pickup system

D

In the United States, almost two-thirds of all liquid hazardous wastes are ____. A. stored in guarded facilities B. bioremediated C. recycled into useful materials D. injected into deep disposal wells E. incinerated

D

Plasma gasification is a technology that uses arcs of electricity in the absence of ____ to produce very high temperatures for vaporizing trash. A. hazardous chemicals B. coal C. water D. oxygen E. carbon dioxide

D

Why can the United States legally transport its electronic waste when many other countries cannot? A. The United States can export its e-waste legally because it has not ratified the Basel Convention. B. The United States can export its e-waste legally because it can afford the safety measures needed for safe transport. C. The United States can export its e-waste legally because it is exempted from most international laws. D. The United States can export its e-waste legally because it exports directly to recycling centers. E. The United States can export its e-waste legally because it has previous trade agreements with some countries.

A

EPA studies have found that 70% of all U.S. hazardous waste ____ have no liners and could threaten groundwater supplies. A. open pit landfills B. storage ponds C. sanitary landfills D. deep-well disposal sites E. storage tanks

B

According to some estimates, the North Pacific Garbage Patch occupies an area at least the size of ____. A. Several square kilometers B. the Mediterranean Sea C. Europe D. Texas E. Ireland

D

Recycling, reuse, and composting create many new ____. A. landfills B. expenses C. problems D. pollutants E. jobs

E

The U.S. EPA estimates that recycling and composting in the United States in 2010 reduced emissions of climate-changing carbon dioxide by an amount roughly equal to that emitted by 36 million ____. A. tons of coal B. power plants C. barrels of oil D. hydraulically fractured gas wells E. passenger vehicles

E