There's No "Away," Even If We Bury It

When you throw out your garbage, chances are it ends up in a landfill. Most of the garbage you've sent to landfills in your lifetime is still there. It doesn't go "away" and it doesn't disappear.

We'll probably always need to bury the garbage that can't be reused, recycled, composted, or burned. But if we make less garbage in the first place, and find other uses for it, our landfills will last longer.

photo of landfill
Photo courtesy of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

activity iconActivities: How Do Landfills Work? and Landfill Tour
profile iconProfile: Mierle Laderman Ukeles


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