Effects of Landfill Sites on the Environment

Recycling and Reusing

• Old clothing and textiles can be reused or recycled to make new products like mattress fillings, cloths, blankets, and carpets.
• Plant material waste can be recycled to make compost, which can be used as a natural fertilizer to grow more plants.

Metal Recycling

• Most drinks cans are made of aluminum, a valuable metal that can be recycled.
• Most food cans are made of a mixture of metals that can be separated and recycled many times.
• Recycling metals saves energy and materials, and reduces pollution.

Natural Resources

• Natural resources are air, water, coal, oil, natural gas, rocks, soil, animals, and plants.
• Power stations use natural resources to produce electricity, but they also pollute the air.
• Natural resources can be classified into non-renewable and renewable resources.

Non-Renewable Resources

• Non-renewable resources can be used only once and cannot be replaced, except over millions of years.
• Examples of non-renewable resources include coal, oil, natural gas, and metal ores.
• If we use non-renewable resources carefully, they will last for many years, but if we waste them, they will soon be gone forever.

Renewable Resources

• Renewable resources are natural and can be replaced.
• Examples of renewable resources include animals, trees, and other plants that can grow in place of those used.
• Renewable resources can also include sunlight, wind, waves, tides, and fast flowing rivers, which can be used to generate electricity.

Litter and Landfill Sites

• Litter is any rubbish that is not put in a bin or recycled.
• Much of the rubbish we throw away is put in landfill sites, which can produce poisonous gases, take up valuable space, and harm wildlife.

Making Less Rubbish

• We can make less rubbish by reusing and recycling items, and buying products with less packaging and plastic.
• Making less rubbish can help reduce pollution and conserve valuable resources.

Why is Litter Dangerous?

• Litter is dirty, looks nasty, and spoils the environment.
• Litter can carry germs, start fires, harm wildlife, and harm humans and animals.

Why Should We Recycle Rubbish?

• Throwing things away when we have finished with them causes pollution and wastes valuable materials.
• Recycling can help conserve resources and reduce pollution.
• Glass and plastic can be recycled over and over again, saving energy and raw materials.