Decomposition of Waste in Landfills: Environmental Impact

• The text discusses the length of time it takes for different types of waste to decompose in landfills from an environmental health perspective, highlighting the importance of reducing consumption of items that generate long-lasting waste.
• Paper: varies in time to biodegrade depending on storage conditions, from 8 months to a year.
• Gum or rubber: takes a minimum of 5 years to decompose.
• Aluminum cans: though a small portion is responsibly recycled, the majority must decompose in landfills, taking a minimum of 10 years and up to 100 years, depending on thickness, composition, and size.
• Aerosols and petroleum products: present two challenges. Metals only decompose through oxidation, a slow process, and most aerosol cans contain CFCs, which contribute to the ozone hole. Tetrapaks: effective in biodegrading but consist of cellulose, various types of plastic, and aluminum, making them long-lasting in landfills, requiring at least 30 years to decompose.
• Polipropylene: the primary component of many daily-used items like yogurt containers and bottle lids, requires 100-300 years to biodegrade naturally.
• Plastic waste: a common component of modern life. Annually, approximately 16 million barrels of petroleum are used for the production of plastic water and soda bottles. Plastic waste takes a long time to decompose and poses a significant environmental problem.
• Determined plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills.
• Disposable diapers and related products: can take approximately 500 years to decompose in a landfill.
• Batteries: Though their metal casing can take a long time to decompose through oxidation, the main concern is the release of toxic elements when the battery breaks down.
• Glass: generally easy to recycle due to its silica composition, but when discarded in landfills, it can take thousands of years to decompose, with some types and high-durability glass not decomposing at all.
• The increasing volume of waste is a concern for humanity. If preventative measures are not taken, there will not be enough space to effectively dispose of the large volume of daily waste generated.
• Eco TV is a Colombian environmental channel, hosted by Luis Alejandro Moto Martínez, aiming to raise awareness about the environment and encouraging subscriptions, likes, and shares to spread the message.

Explore the timeline for different types of waste to decompose in landfills and the environmental implications of long-lasting waste. Learn about the decomposition times for paper, rubber, aluminum cans, aerosols, plastic waste, diapers, batteries, and more.