What is Pollution?
Updated: Feb 28
Don’t you hate when someone chooses to litter instead of throwing it in the trash?
Do you ever wonder how trash affects our environment?
Companies can reduce waste by producing products that can easily be recycled or composted.
In this article we will discuss the following:
What is pollution?
The main types of pollution.
How much waste does the U.S. produce?
How to reduce pollution?
What is Pollution?
Pollution is any substances in water, soil, or air that damages the natural characteristics of the environment, sight, taste, or smell, or threaten health. Pollution can be introduced in many forms, such as the following:
· solid
· liquid
· gas
· energy
Pollutants can be natural and artificial. Artificial pollution is the most common because it involves human activity.
What are the Main Types of Pollution?
The main types of pollution are categorized as air, water, and land. Pollution in these areas typically originate from municipal solid waste. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) defines solid waste as any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities. This means individuals leave waste behind in almost anything that is done.
How Much Waste Does the United States Produce?
Understanding pollution is important because it affects each of us. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. produces about 292 million tons of waste a year. That is about five pounds of waste for each person. Most of our waste is produced by corporations. Corporations produce the products individuals consume. Consumers then purchase from corporations and leave behind waste.
What is the most common form of waste? (answer at end of article)
- Glass
- Plastic
- Aluminum
- Paper
How to Reduce Pollution?
To reduce pollution, waste must be reduced. To reduce waste you must reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. To reduce waste, only buy and use items needed. When items are reused, carbon footprint is reduced and waste is redirected. Recycling helps conserve materials and energy. Composting is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow (food scraps and yard waste). These options help with the following:
· save landfill space
· save energy
· reduces greenhouse gas emissions
· reduce cost of materials
· preserves nature
· prevents pollution
· reduces raw material production
Did you enjoy this article? If so, like and leave us a comment and share with someone!
Poll Answer: Paper
Recycling and Composting Instruction Manual
Use this free recycling and composting instruction manual to help reduce pollution as an individual and in your community. Click the link below.
Reusable Tote Bag
A reusable tote bag allows individuals to reduce waste by refusing hard to recycle plastic bags. A tote bag can carry just about anything and can be reused multiple times. Click the link below.
Do you need a blog writer for your website? Technical/content writing is a unique skill that we possess to add credibility to your website. Blog writing is an important component in increasing site visibility using SEO keywords. If we can research it, we can write it!
Your work will naturally include the following:
SEO keywords
Originality (no plagiarizing ever)
Grammatically correct language
References
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint
5. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics
6. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
7. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases