2. Compost.Landfill Activity

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View these resources about PWC landfill and compost facilities.

Composting:

Anaerobic (smelly) – Oxygen – Aerobic

Too wet (smelly) – Moisture – Too dry (cool, slow)

Nitrogen-rich – Greens/Browns – Too much Carbon (cool, slow)

<5.5 (slow) – pH 6.5-7.0 - >8.0 (slow)

Colder (slower) –Ambient Temperature – Hot (faster)

1. Add browns ( leaves and twigs)
2. Turn pile for aeration.
3. Add greens (grass clippings)
4. Add greens (food and vegetable scraps)
5. Add moisture (turn pile)
6. Finished compost

*Nature’s recycling

*Finished compost in 6 months

*Controlled decomposition of organics

*30% of household waste can be composted

*One pound of red worms and consume 0.5+ lbs of food per week

*Use compost as a soil, lawn and top soil dressing, mulch

* Soil is made up of five components: sand, silt, clay, organic material, and soil organisms.

1. For the items present at your meals for the day, list where each item would fit. Include packaging, peels, leftovers, containers, etc.

2. Explain the compost development structure.
3. Complete the chart below.

4. How long will each of these take to decompose in a landfill?

1. 1. Paper Bag
   2. Cotton Rag
   3. Wool sock
   4. Cigarette Butt
   5. Leather Boot
   6. Rubber Sole
   7. Tin can of soup
   8. Aluminum can of soda
   9. Plastic 6-pack ring from soda
   10. Plastic jug of milk
   11. Styrofoam cup
   12. Glass bottle

5. Explain the layers of the landfill structure.

6. How are landfills are designed to protect the environment?
7. How is groundwater protected?
8. How much waste does the landfill and compost site take in each day?
9. How might reusable energy be generated?
10. Which other types of sustainable practices might be implemented?
11. Do items continue to degrade and make room for new garbage, or will landfills eventually fill up?
12. What us the life expectancy of a landfill?
13. What do trash “life spans” say about the importance of limiting the production of solid waste by a community?
14. Why are landfills monitored after closing?
15. Why can’t trees be planted on a landfill after closure?
16. Explain the solid waste management practices of reducing, reusing and recycling on site?
17. How are the former practices used in your family or community?
18. The three major molecules regarding microbial metabolism in landfills and compost sites are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.Describe their structures and functions.
    1. Cellulose
    2. Hemicellulose
    3. Lignin
19. The four major microbiological processes are: polymer hydrolysis, fermentation, acetate production, and methane production. Describe the uses for these processes for us.
    1. Polymer hydrolysis
    2. Fermentation
    3. Acetate production
    4. Methane production
20. The five major phases of refuse decomposition are aerobic phase, anaerobic acid phase, accelerated methane phase, decelerated methane phase, and complete stabilization. Describe what occurs in each of these phases.
    1. Aerobic phase
    2. Anaerobic acid phase
    3. Accelerated methane phase
    4. Decelerated methane phase
    5. Complete stabilization
21. There are three major stages of microbial composting: mesophilic, thermophilic, cooling/curing. Explain what occurs in these phases and the microbes involved from bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, vermi-.
    1. Mesophilic
    2. Thermophilic
    3. Cooling/Curing