Solid Waste Problem in Puerto Rico’s Urban Areas

By: Gretchen Villali, Khiry Maynard, Clifford VillaflorProfessor Linda Commander

Science

What is Solid WasteSolid waste means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a

wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded materials.

Including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural operations, and from community activities.

Does not include solid or dissolved materials in domestic sewage, or solid or dissolved materials in irrigation return flows or industrial discharges.

Allen, B., & inc.(1996)

Examples of Solid Waste

Waste tiresSeptageScrap metalLatex paintsFurniture and toysDomestic refuse (garbage)Discarded appliances and vehiclesUncontaminated used oil and anti-freezeempty aerosol

cans, paint cans and compressed gas cylindersConstruction and demolition debris, asbestos

Our Purpose…

To educate people on proper waste disposal.

This is one of the most common problems that we see day to day in Puerto Rico.

To bring awareness to the situation, and understanding.

To all pitch in to better our environment/community.

Calle Olot Urb. Openland In the neighborhood of

Openland there is a waste problem.

The area has a huge “dump site”.

People just come and dump every and anything.

Around the area there is a lot of plants, and birds that live around the area that are effected.

The garbage doesn’t break down and just keeps accumulating.

More Waste Problems In Puerto Rico

This area just like the area in Calle Olot has a massive waste problem.

People disregard litter laws, and animals end up dying because of this carelessness.

The animals eat the waste

and die shortly after.

It increases toxins that will inevitably destroy the natural wildlife around it.

Waste in Loiza

Further InformationThe constant dumping

keeps further damaging the natural resources.

This particular area is unusable for the citizens of the area, and the area can’t be enjoyed by the children that play around the neighborhood.

Animals are affected by the excess waste, birds have been seen trapped in plastic bags.

Waste Problems Of The AreaThis area has a lot of trash.

The trash includes everything you could think of: mattresses, workout machines, garbage bags, plastic bags, dumped old pieces of furniture

There is lots of plants that are damaged, there are birds that used to live in the area like cranes that no longer are able to live in this area.

The plants that prospered in this area have diminished.

What kinds of Solid Waste is Present?

There is also pieces of construction that gets dumped off at this area.

They have to keep bringing in construction machinery to remove the waste that repeatedly gets dumped.

This causes further irreparable damage with the vegetation in the area.

Why We Should Help..• To maintain garbage control.

• If the problem of waste isn’t taken care of it becomes a serious health hazards.

• If the problem isn’t regularly taken care of a lot of problems manifests.

• The garbage and waste invite a large number of insect like flies, mosquitoes that spread illness.

• Scavengers such as stray dogs, rats which spread dangerous diseases. It also causes bad odors and not to mention causes pollution.

What Can Be DoneTake pride in your area, don’t trash it to begin with. Cut back on the amount of waste by using and throwing

out less in the first place.One of the major sources of the waste problem is paper

and plastics, it accounts for approximately one-third of all the garbage, so recycle.

Recycle it works, and it does so in several ways. It reduces the environmental costs of land filling and incineration. It substitutes used materials for virgin materials.

by reducing the demand for natural resources. It conserves energy. And it creates jobs in the community.

EPA. (2009).

ConclusionIn conclusion eventually the problem of waste will bury us all alive if we don’t try to take care of the problem correctly. This means we have to take our planet in consideration. Otherwise by the time we take it more seriously it will be too late.

Bibliography Green. (2009, January 30). How does landfill and litter affect our

wildlife? |NowPublic.com | The News is NowPublic. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/how-does-landfill-and-litter-affect-our-wildlife

EPA. (2009). Waste Prevention. Waste WI$e Tip Sheet, 1. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from the EPA database

Hickman, H. (1971). a case study of federal- state partnership. state solid waste planning , 1. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from the EPA database.

Allen, B., & inc.. (1996). Definition of Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Recycling. RCRA, Superfund & EPCRA Hotline Training Module, 2. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from the EPA database