Where Does Trash Go? Inside Modern Landfills

In our "Where Does Trash Go?" episode, we learned that trash doesn't just disappear! It goes on an incredible journey to a special place called a landfill. This mission will help you see that journey up close.

The Big Question

What happens to trash after it leaves our house?

What You'll Need

• A garbage bag
• Various household items that are no longer needed (e.g., empty cereal box, crumpled paper, plastic bottle, apple core)
• A large box or bin (like a storage tote) to represent the landfill

Mission Steps

1. Gather Your Trash. Collect a variety of clean, safe items that you would normally throw away.
2. Pack the Truck. Pretend your garbage bag is a garbage truck. Try to fit as many items from Step 1 into the bag as possible, squishing them down like the compactor we talked about.
3. Empty into the Landfill. Dump the contents of your garbage bag into the large box or bin. This box is now your mini-landfill!
4. Observe the Layers. Look at the different items you put into your landfill. Can you see the items you squished down?

Talk About It

• What kinds of trash did you put in your landfill?
• How did squishing the trash change how much fit in the bag?
• What could you do differently to make less trash go into your "landfill"?

Take It Further

For older rangers, investigate what happens to different types of materials in a landfill over a very long time (like plastic versus an apple core). You can research decomposition rates and the concept of "landfill mining" where old landfills are explored for valuable resources.

FAQ

Q: Is it safe to do this at home? A: Yes, as long as you use clean, dry household items that are no longer needed and are safe to handle. Avoid anything sharp or wet. Q: My child is worried about trash. How can I help? A: Focus on the positive actions families can take, like recycling and reusing, to reduce the amount of trash that needs to go to a landfill. Q: What if I don't have a big box for the landfill? A: You can simply spread the items out on the floor or a table to observe them after they've been "compacted" in the bag.