6.+Research

[PLASTIC] world after eating or becoming tangled in plastic bags.
 * New Zealanders use around three million plastic bags a day.
 * The average NZ family has collected sixty bags after just four trips to the supermarket.
 * Up to 100,000 marine animals, mostly whales, seals, and turtles, die each year around the
 * At least half of the litter blown form landfills is some kind of plastic, mostly, bags.
 * plastic bags are difficult to recycle into other products. This is because there are so many different kinds of plastic and bags are often contaminated by paper and food scraps
 * The petroleum used to make one plastic bag is enough to drive a 115 metres.

LANDFILL 1.What is a landfill? A landfill, also known as a dump or rubbish dump, is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment. Historically, landfills have been the most common methods of organized waste disposal and remain so in many places around the world.



2. What are the nagative effects? This can contaminate our water,causing a rise in cancer rates, other health problems.The leachate from a landfill contains numerous liquid pollutants suc as acids, organics, dissolved metals and high BOD material. It can leave a poorly controlled landfill and comtaminate groundwater and surface water.
 * Seepage into drinking water is the most important negative effect. It may not happen for a long time, but sooner or later it will.
 * Decomposition of organics in the anaerobic conditions in landfill can create methane gas, a powerful greenhouse gas which is also very flammable. The methane can escape to the air or follow pores in the soil to nearby buildings where it can build up to explosive ways.

3. What is Methane gas? Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CH4. It is the simplest alkaline, and the principal component of natural gas. Burning methane in the presence of oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel. However, because it is a gas at normal temperature and pressure, methane is difficult to transport from its source. In its natural gas form, it is generally transported in bulk by pipeline or LNG carriers; few countries transport it by truck.

4.What are the 2 ways of dealing with Methan gas? The two mane ways of dealing with methane are to burn it off as waste or to use it as a fuel. First, bores are drilled down into the rubbish, and the methane gas is pumped up and tested for quality and quantity.

If the gas passes the tests, it can be collected and used. If there's not enough, or if it's too impure, it can be flared off.

Refusing
Refusing means saying no to as much as packaging as possible. For example, people can refuse plastic bags when they go shopping, and can bring their own clothes bags.

Reusing
Reusing means to use something more than once. For example, you can wash the plastic bottles, and reuse them as water bottles, or to make something.

Recycling
Recycling means to change a used material so that something new can be made from it. To recycle something, you must know what is recycable and what is not,and put recycable things in your green bin. Then, your recycable garbage goes to MRF, and change into another thing.

Reduce means using less of the things that will end up as rubbish. For example, you can reduce the amount of wastinh plastic bags by reducing the use of plastic bags

= {COMPOST} = = = =composting= Composting is a natural process that breaks down organic material like leaves, grass clippings, food scraps and paper into a nutrient-rich, soil-like material which is great for the garden! When properly maintained compost has no unpleasant odours. Composting is best suited to homes that have a garden, as you need to have soil under the compost bin or enclosure. Using a composting bin or making a composting enclosure are options depending on the garden space available. Ready made composting bins are available at garden centres or hardware stores.

The basic compost recipe
The best compost needs a good balance of four basic ingredients: greens + browns + water + air. Note: Food scraps and garden material compost much quicker when chopped into smaller pieces. Paper products can be ripped into small pieces and soaked in water before composting.
 * Greens – includes kitchen vegetable and fruit scraps, vegetable peelings, tea leaves, coffee grounds, soft garden debris, lawn clippings.
 * Browns – includes paper, sawdust, straw, leaves, cereal boxes, cardboard, napkins, tree clippings, woody materials like cabbage stalks.

Non-compostable materials

 * Weeds such as oxalis, live twitch, docks, convolvulus and dandelions.
 * Large pieces of wood, bones, inert materials like tins, glass, plastic, or diseased plant material.
 * Meat, fish, fats or cooking and salad oils - these may create fly, rodent and odour problems.
 * Plant foliage with chemical spray residue, especially hormone type weedkillers.
 * Toxic material.

Getting started on composting
Locate your compost in a sheltered, level area of the garden with good drainage and access. The site should be within reach of a garden hose, and preferably not in full sun. The compost heap should sit directly on the soil. Start by digging up the soil to aid drainage and encourage earthworms into the compost. If using an enclosed bin, raise it up on a few bricks. First add a 100–150mm layer of coarse organic material to ensure good drainage and ventilation. Next add equal amounts by volume of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ organic material, in layers. Fluff and partially mix materials and add water as you go to ensure the heap does not get compacted and dry. The compost needs to be moist and should have the consistency of a squeezed out sponge. Cover the compost with the lid of the compost bucket and leave for a few days. Within a day or two, the material may heat up and start to shrink. Don't be alarmed if this doesn't occur as the composting process is still happening. To speed up the process, try adding some more 'green' material to the compost (like lawn clippings) with some water.Continue to build the compost heap by adding ‘green’ and ‘brown organic material and water. When the bin, enclosure or heap is full, tightly fit the lid, or cover with straw, soil, old sacks or similar materials. Leave the compost to mature. This can take several weeks to months to occur depending on the time of the year. During this time no new material should be added. You will need to start another bin, enclosure or heap while waiting for the first one to mature.