Garbage decomposition rate. How long does it take for food waste, diapers and other garbage to decompose?
The development of civilization has brought many useful fruits to our society. Development of technology, scientific discoveries, original research in various areas significantly simplified and extended human life, made it more enjoyable and interesting. But along with the convenience of using the new materials that have appeared, the problem of their disposal has also arisen.
Such simple but dangerous packaging
Cellophane, polyethylene, plastic - these packaging materials have literally filled our lives and have become part of the everyday life of every family. Accordingly, these materials are thrown into a waste bin, subsequently ending up in garbage containers, so they are classified as solid household waste(MSW).
We don't even think about the enormous amount of slowly decomposing waste that we produce every day, simply by throwing once-used bags into the trash. Meanwhile, product packaging accounts for approximately 40% of all waste on the entire planet! An impressive figure, isn't it?
It would seem like a thin plastic bag, or plastic container They look quite harmless, because they can be torn so easily. In fact, the same plastic bottle takes about 100 years to decompose, and plastic film even longer - as much as 200 years. Foil also has a considerable period of natural decomposition - at least 100 years, the same amount of time it takes nature to get rid of rubber tires.
If nothing is done about the solid waste that accumulates daily in homes, offices and enterprises, then soon the world could easily become mired in the waste of civilization. This is why the work of waste recycling enterprises and specialized companies involved in collection, timely removal and proper disposal is so important. various types waste, including solid waste. Our company LLC is exactly such an enterprise. Clean world", we carefully care about the preservation of the environment and professionally fulfill our responsibilities by disposing of waste according to the latest technologies and in specially designated places.
How long does it take for trash to disappear?
As we have already found out, polyethylene products take a very long time to decompose. What would happen if the garbage was never removed, but simply left to rot in the streets? The consequences would be terrifying, because even the most harmless things at first glance, without proper disposal, can cause a serious blow environment.
The approximate decomposition times for some types of waste are as follows:
- decomposes up to 1 month food waste, paper towels and bags, banana peels, animal droppings, newspapers;
- approximately 1-2 years should pass for cardboard boxes, items made from natural fabrics, ropes, woolen socks, leaves and branches to smolder;
- you will have to wait about 10 years for the decomposition of wooden boards and large branches, iron cans and fittings, cigarette butts and milk cartons;
- It will take approximately 50 years for plastic foam products, leather shoes or synthetic clothing to degrade;
- for at least 100 years, in addition to the above-mentioned wrapping materials, tin cans, electric batteries, car batteries, fragments of concrete and bricks, as well as metal products decompose;
- as many as 500 years must be waited for decay aluminum cans and disposable diapers;
- ordinary glass takes the longest to decompose, up to 1000 years, so you should think twice before breaking a bottle on the beach or within the city.
A clean city is the task of every resident
So what can we do to reduce the amount of trash on the streets that takes so long to break down?
The most important thing is to try to minimize the amount of waste produced. Owners of enterprises and industries, where the size of daily garbage piles reach significant sizes, should under no circumstances simply dispose of solid waste to the nearest landfill (often unauthorized). Responsible people who care about the environment and the health of other people have been using the services of waste recycling companies for a long time. LLC "Clean World" provides exactly such services in the city of St. Petersburg; we take care of the solid waste entrusted to us from beginning to end. Our clients do not have to worry about the reliability of waste disposal. The quality of work of the Clean World LLC company is ensured by experienced and hardworking employees who know their task perfectly, as well as by the presence of new specialized equipment capable of coping with any volume of work.
In order for the special services involved in waste collection to cope with their work more effectively, each person must take a responsible approach to the problem of waste accumulation. After all, it’s not at all difficult not to throw the candy bar wrapper on the ground, but to carry it to the trash, not to trample the cigarette butt into the dust with your heel, but to throw it into the nearest trash can.
Unfortunately, litter pollutes not only the earth, but also water bodies. In many Asian countries, some rivers are more like sewers with people floating on the surface. plastic bottles, and the unpleasant smell from water artery spreads over many meters around.
To prevent the beautiful rivers of our homeland from turning into such rotting reservoirs, there is no need to throw plastic, glass and tin containers into the water. You should also not leave trash on the shore. Particularly dangerous are fragments from broken glass bottles. Not only will it take almost a millennium before the glass disappears, but the sharp edges of the fragments can also injure other people; inquisitive children often become victims of previously broken containers. If you go on a picnic, clean up all the remnants of the feast, and then surrounding nature will remain clean and untouched, and will delight hundreds more people with its blooming appearance.
Clean World LLC stands guard over the cleanliness of St. Petersburg, and the professional skills of its team can be confirmed by the presence of all permits for working with solid waste and other types of waste of human civilization.
Scientists have already proven that plastic bottles and bags can last hundreds, thousands and even millions of years without decomposing.
Here's a list of the things we throw away and how long it takes for that trash to decompose.
2 weeks
Apple cores and other fruit remains.
Even though it takes a relatively short time to decompose, leftover food on the ground can attract unwanted "friends" such as rats.
About 1 month
Paper napkins, paper bags, newspapers, paper towels.
The time it takes for these items to decompose can vary greatly, as it depends on how you disposed of this type of waste.
6 weeks
Cereal boxes, paper bags, banana peels.
Banana peels may take longer to decompose if the weather is cooler. Since the peel is designed to preserve the freshness of the fruit, it contains a lot of cellulose - the same material that cellophane bags are made from.
Some conservationists warn that the peels of some fruits, including banana peel, can take several months to decompose. Even if a product is natural, this does not mean that it decomposes quickly.
2 to 3 months
Cardboard packaging for milk and juices and other types of cardboard.
The decomposition time of cardboard primarily depends on its thickness. It is worth noting that some cartons may contain chemical materials, which significantly slow down the decomposition process.
6 months
Cotton clothes and paper books.
Of all types of fabrics, cotton decomposes the fastest, as it is natural. If the cotton fabric thrown into the landfill is quite thin, then warm weather it can decompose in as little as a week.
1 year
Woolen clothes (sweaters, socks).
Wool is a natural product and can decompose relatively quickly. Moreover, when wool decomposes, it releases elements beneficial to the soil, such as keratins. This product cannot be completely considered garbage, as it does not cause long-term harm to the environment.
2 years
Orange peel, plywood.
Up to 5 years
Heavy wool clothing, such as a coat or overcoat.
Up to 20 years
Plastic bags. But research shows that in some cases plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
Many new plastic bags are designed to degrade quickly when exposed to direct sunlight.
Yet most plastic bags are made from high-density polyethylene. Microorganisms in the soil do not perceive the chemicals that make up the bag as food, and therefore they do not participate in its decomposition.
30-40 years
Products containing nylon: tights, windbreakers, carpets, diapers. Some scientists believe that such products can take up to 500 years to decompose, depending on environmental conditions.
Even though diapers are quite convenient, they are also quite toxic, even if you haven't used them yet. They are treated with a variety of chemicals such as toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene and dipentene, as well as a chemical called dioxin, which is a highly toxic carcinogen.
50 years
Cans, car tires, foam glasses, leather.
Leather can be treated chemically (as in the case of elements fashionable clothes) and can take much longer to decompose.
The thick leather used to make shoes can take 80 years to decompose.
From 70 to 80 years
Rustling plastic bags (from chips and packaging, for example).
Despite the fact that a person eats the contents of a bag of chips very quickly, the bags themselves take quite a long time to decompose. For example, one US resident found an empty bag of chips on a beach in Devon, dated 1967, but the bag itself looked like it had been thrown away last week.
About 100 years
Products made of polyethylene.
Of course, decomposition time depends on the density and structure of the product. For example, regular plastic bags from the store can take about 100 years to decompose.
Also in the category of things that can decompose for more than a century include plastic bottles and various plastic containers and bowls.
It is worth noting that small polyethylene parts can pose a choking hazard to animals.
About 200 years
Aluminum cans (for beer or soda, for example).
In this case, everything also depends on the density of the material and its structure. In the best case, such objects take 200 years to decompose, but this process can drag on for half a millennium.
It is worth noting that, like plastic products, such items are dangerous for small animals that can climb into an empty jar and get stuck in it.
These cans can be recycled many times and this process requires much less energy than creating a new can. Using the same amount of energy, you can make 20 recycled cans or 1 new aluminum can.
500 years
Plastic bottles.
In general, petrochemical products such as plastic bottles never completely degrade, and chemical elements they just stay in the ground.
1 to 2 million years
Glass jars and bottles
Products made from glass can even last forever, because glass created in lava flows millions of years ago is still there.
Glass mainly consists of quartz, or rather quartz sand(SiO2) is one of the most stable and durable minerals on our planet.
The only problem with glass is that it breaks and the shards become dangerous to animals, who may mistake them for food.
More than 2 million years
Batteries
Despite the fact that the thin metal shell of batteries decomposes relatively quickly, toxic chemical substances contained inside (zinc chloride, lead, mercury, cadmium) are absorbed into the ground.
Therefore, batteries should not just be thrown away, but recycled.
I have long wanted to “launch” this topic on the blog. It concerns the problem of garbage and pollution of our planet. Well, who doesn’t observe this terrible picture of pollution of cities and villages, especially in the last decades. Of course, it is connected with the activities of mankind and the development of production technologies. We have learned how to produce, but not how to destroy waste from this production. This topic is especially relevant for the countries of the so-called third world and... CIS countries.
It is now sad and mournful to look at everything that is happening related to littering and pollution: how will future generations live on this planet, which has been turned into a garbage dump?
As a result of the development of technologies in the sphere of consumption, the materials from which objects are made self-destruct (decompose) for a very long time and more and more of them appear. This needs to be dealt with somehow. And immediately!
And now, for reference:
examples of types of materials and products that can pollute the environment until they are completely decomposed
progressively, starting with examples where the product decomposes faster and ends with the longest spontaneously destroyed one.
1. Animal waste products
Simply put, droppings from animals living in cities and in which humans are somehow involved.
The period of “self-destruction” is not long - 10-15 days, but this does not reduce the problematic nature of the issue. Why is clear without explanation :).
2. Food waste
Decomposition time is about a month. But the smell from decomposition products is usually very unpleasant.
3. Newspaper
Decomposes within one to three months. Depending on the weather conditions and other environmental reasons. However, as with most other types of garbage.
4. Leaves, twigs and seeds - “tree-bush”
the garbage that street cleaners “work” with and that participants in cleanup work actively fight with :)
The decay period is three to four months.
5. Cardboard and boxes made from it
Decomposes within three months. Or even more.
6. Office paper
Office (“writing”) paper takes longer to decompose than newspaper and cardboard: two years.
7. Construction boards
The decomposition period reaches ten years.
8. Cans
In normal environments they decompose within ten years.
9. Old shoes
When thrown into a landfill, it is destroyed in approximately 10 years.
10. Iron products
They turn into iron oxide (i.e. decompose) in 10-20 years. Depending on the “texture”.
11. Car batteries
Destroyed in about 100 years.
12. Foil
And it will take more than 100 years for it to disintegrate...
13. Electric batteries
For some reason, they “live” before decomposition longer than batteries—about 110 years.
14. Rubber tires
Can only decompose within 120-140 years.
15. Plastic bottles
This very common product of the creation of mankind and its high technologies over the past 30 years brings many benefits. But such bottles, alas, take a very long time to decompose: whole 200 years!
16. Aluminum cans
It's a terrible thing, I tell you. Aluminum decomposes within 500 years. It’s understandable - non-ferrous metal. But it’s just in vain that they began to use it for domestic purposes, probably. It’s good that the homeless collect them and hand them over to scrap metal collection points.
17. Glass
Oh, this is glass... A product that humanity invented a long time ago and there is no point in talking about its benefits and significance for people. One thing is unpleasant: of all the products created using the technology of processing silicon into this transparent liquid and solid under normal conditions, it is very difficult to “evaporate”. Glass takes longer to break apart than any other household product - more than 1000 years! Citizens, do not throw glass in places where people and other fauna and flora live! Take care of nature and our Planet!
You can find a lot of information on the Internet about the decomposition times of different types of waste, however, as a rule, the official source of information is not indicated and some figures are questionable. The Epoch Times analyzed several specialized sources on English language, to clarify the time frame during which garbage decomposes. The publication presents infographics for a more visual understanding.
According to environmental policy expert Tatiana Tevkun, official landfills alone occupy about 7% of Ukraine's territory. At the same time, waste accumulation increases by 5-7% annually.
Although individual city residents can take waste to specialized collection points marked during the Epoch Times, the issue has not been resolved at the state level, and the majority of the population continues to throw all waste into one box.
Let's see how many years it will take for the waste that ends up in a landfill to decompose.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services website has published a list that gives an idea of the approximate decomposition time of some items that end up in the trash.
At the same time, the decomposition period given in this table raises doubts plastic bags. Many Ukrainian sources give their decomposition period as 100-200 years. Some sources give a figure of 500 or even 1000 years. However, it is impossible to establish an exact figure for the reason that plastic bags have been used for a little over 50 years, and scientists determine the decomposition period only experimentally.
At the same time, environmentalists say that even biodegradable bags may never break down completely. This is due to the fact that when they decompose to the smallest particles, microorganisms do not want to process them. Thus, microparticles of plastic will continue to exist in an unprocessed form, although they are not visible to the naked eye. Scientists have yet to study the influence of these particles on nature.
We also suggest that you get acquainted with data from another Western source dedicated to recycling waste - .
The website publishes the average value of decomposition times various waste on garbage dumps taken from Western information sources.
It takes over a million years for glass and ceramics to break down into smaller things under the influence of water, but they can survive indefinitely in the ground.
The decomposition period of paper is not very long, but lead dyes end up in water bodies with runoff, making the water unfit for drinking, poisoning the soil and everything that grows on it.
Of course, not everything we throw away harms the environment; organic waste is even useful, as it fertilizes the earth. The decomposition time of organic waste is minimal, but when it accumulates in city landfills, it produces an unpleasant odor and attracts insects and rodents that spread various infectious diseases. At the same time, it is believed that the methane gas released organic waste in a landfill, contributes to global warming.
One of the most hazardous waste are batteries and energy-saving lamps containing mercury. One battery is believed to pollute 20 meters of area or 400 liters of water.
Much of what we throw into landfills can get a second life. Sorting waste that has already ended up in a landfill is a rather difficult and costly task; the only way out is to separate human waste at the level of each family.
Answer #1 . The stele does not rot, rotting is a process of destruction caused either by the action of an oxidizing agent or by the action of microorganisms, but since absolute is not edible, microorganisms do not eat it. The basis of glass is silicon oxide, and oxide, as is known, cannot burn. In addition, this oxide is quite stable and does not decompose in nature, i.e. it can only crumble to the smallest particles of sand and it will take millions of years for a bottle lying in the ground to do this. if the bottle is exposed external conditions then the number of millions is reduced.
Answer #2 . Depending on the main glass-forming substance used, glasses can be oxide, fluoride, sulfide, etc.
Glass is a mixture of oxides SiO2, Na2O and CaO. And what will it decompose into? For metals and oxygen? Main content – SiO2,
The enthalpy of formation is as much as -910.9 kJ/mol. That is, it will never decompose on its own; it is not energetically beneficial for it to decompose. In addition, this is a huge value, it decomposes under ordinary influences; to decompose, you need to take this energy from somewhere and pump it into glass.
Energy - almost 10 electron volts per molecule. In nature, such energy is only found in cosmic rays.
but how many of those rays.
Some definitions
Glass- a substance and material, one of the most ancient and, due to the diversity of its properties, universal in human practice. Physico-chemical – inorganic substance, solid, structurally – amorphous, isotropic; All types of glass are converted into state of aggregation- from extreme liquid viscosity to the so-called glassy - during the cooling process at a speed sufficient to prevent crystallization of melts obtained by melting raw materials. The glass melting temperature, from 300 to 2500 °C, is determined by the components of these glass-forming melts. The title of this material is different languages has different etymologies. The term “glass structure” implies a description of two closely related, but often considered independently, aspects - geometry relative position atoms and ions that make up glass and the nature of the chemical bonds between the particles that form it. Glass is an inorganic isotropic substance, a material known and used since ancient times. The main disadvantage of ordinary glass is fragility.
