1.+Introduction

It’s the first bite into a taste bud tantalizing, mouth-watering burger. Your stomach roars with satisfaction as you crunch through the crisp lettus, juicy beef, and warm homemade bread. Ten deliciously gratifying bites later, you realize you are full. The waitress cheerfully smiles as she takes away your half-eaten burger, along with the used paper napkins, plates, and soda cups- but do you ever think where this goes?!

Unfortunately, you are not alone. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of 4.6 pounds per person per day! This is almost twice as much per person than other major countries! So what’s the problem with that? Landfills, and lots of them.

Landfills are structures built into or on top of grounds in which waste products including paper, plastic, metals, and your half-eaten burger sit. With time, these heaping piles of garbage turn into toxic mountains of waste. The danger comes when landfills are not regulated by environmental officials. These toxins can seep out and have devastating effects on the surrounding environment, wildlife, public, and climate. So, what can we do?!