CBSE Class 6 Science Garbage In Garbage Out Assignment Set A

Learning Objectives
1. There are two types of wastes – biodegradable and non-biodegradable.
2. Biodegradable wastes should be recycled.
3. Paper can be reused and recycled.
4. Metal and glass can be recycled into new products.
5. Plastics are bad for the environment.

Every single day tons of garbage is collected from houses, offices, schools and other organizations. Many things that we use in our day-to-day life can be reused, like you can write on both sides of paper and thus save many trees. Instead of using disposable plastic bags, you can use cloth bags and save a lot of energy, and also contribute to reducing the amount of garbage. Recycling other materials and then reusing them is a good way to save a lot of landfill space. The process of recycling is a continuous loop,that works when collected materials from garbage are turned into products. Then these products are bought and used again. By buying the products made from recycled materials, you will be supporting the industry that manufactures these products, and thus the loop of recycling goes on.
It's fun to buy new electronic gadgets, games, and devices. It's necessary to buy upgraded computers and phones every couple of years to keep up with advancing technology. It's cheaper to buy new devices than fix broken ones. It's easier to use disposables such as plastic cups or razors or cameras. We must take appropriate actions to manage our production and waste now.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL
A large, low-lying area used to dispose garbage is known as a dump. A garbage dump is also used as landfill. Garbage collectors collect waste and then dispose it at garbage disposals. Garbage dumps have flies, cockroaches and mosquitoes, and later turn into breeding grounds for micro-organisms that may cause diseases. That is why these garbage dumps are usually located on the outskirts of a city. When garbage mixes with soil, it takes a longer time to decay. The soil becomes loose and a building cannot be constructed on such a landfill. Moreover, it takes 20 to 30 years for the soil to get ready for construction.

Types of Waste
There are two types of wastes that we generate depending on their source.

Biodegradable wastes are those that can be decayed easily. The process of decaying is known as composting. Useful garbage components are fruit and vegetable waste, plant and animal waste, tea leaves, coffee grounds and paper. These useful components of garbage are converted into manure in the soil.

Non- Biodegradable wastes include polythene bags, plastics, glass, metals and aluminium foils. These take longer to decay. When these wastes decay, they release harmful gases that damage the environment. To avoid the adverse impact, these garbage items are sent for recycling.
For example, when leaves burn, they release harmful gases and causes airpollution. Moreover, they lead to asthma and lung diseases. That is why leaves should be buried so as to convert them into manure.

As a global society, our hierarchy for dealing with waste material must be:

(i) reducing, (ii) reusing, (iii) recycling, and (iv) appropriate final disposal.
Reduction of waste generated at the source ought to be of primary concern. It should be followed by reusing goods and recycling what cannot be reused. Finally, when all other options are deemed impossible, the remainder of waste may be incinerated or put in landfills.

Recycling bio-degradable wastes : Biodegradable waste can be recycled by the method of composting. This is the oldest form of disposal. It is a natural process that recycles the nutrients in the waste to give manure or compost. The manure is rich in nutrients and is very good for growing plants. This method is clean, cheap and safe. It reduces the amount of disposable garbage.

VERMICOMPOSTING
The process of preparing compost with the help of red worms is called vermicomposting. The red worm is a type of earthworm that lives in the soil rich in organic matter, which is a combination of nitrogen-rich and carbonrich material with plenty of moisture and microbes.

Method of Vermicompositing
A vermicomposting pit is made with a wooden box or big cement rings. A mesh is spread at the bottom of the pit.
Vegetable waste, fruit waste, waste paper which is not shiny or coated with plastic, is spread over the mesh.
Water is sprinkled to create moisture so that the red worms can live. A vermicomposting pit takes nearly two to four weeks to completely convert waste into manure.
Waste material that is rich in oils, salt, meat and vinegar stops the growth of red worms. These red worms have a special structure called gizzards with which they grind food material. A red worm eats food equal to its weight every day. Red worms do not survive in too hot or too cold conditions.

Recycling

It is important to reuse things than discarding them as waste. Many nice articles can be made out of waste.
Industries use recycled or waste paper to regenerate paper. Paper that is suitable for recycling is called "scrap paper". You can recycle old newspapers, magazines, notebooks and used envelopes.

Steps involved in recycling paper
• Tear paper into small pieces.
• Soak these pieces in water for a day.
• Make a thick paste and spread it on a net or sieve.
• Let water drain off completely.
• Use an old cloth or newspaper to remove the extra water from the paste and dry it.
• Use this paste to get beautiful patterns.

Disadvantages of using of polythene bags
Plastics are generally very resistant to environmental effects (sunshine, rain, frost, etc.), which is an advantage from the point of view of the consumer, but
is a great detriment from the point of view of environment. Plastic bags and boxes remain intact for a long time in landfills. These plastics can also be
burned, but this can create pollution and poisonous gases. Wastes of many kinds is and will continue to increase all around the world due to increasing
consumerism, population size, wealth, and production. The materials are getting more and more complex, and more resistant to natural breakdown. To eliminate the waste is getting more difficult and expensive, and the storage of this increasing amount of waste is practically impossible.

We use many plastic items such as tooth brush, combs, containers, bottles, shoes, toys, wires, frames and bags every day. Certain parts of vehicles like cars and buses, and electronic goods like radios, televisions and refrigerators, are all made of plastic. All these are useful to us in many ways, but using plastic is very harmful in terms of health and as well as the environment. Plastics are not suitable for storing cooked food because they emit harmful chemicals when they are exposed to high temperatures. Using plastics causes health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and reproductive dysfunction. Harmful gases are emitted from burning plastics, which cause cancer and they kill living beings.
That is why plastics should be disposed in the right way.
Plastics that do not contain the chemical, BPA, are usually licensed for storing food items.
Plastics thrown casually get into drains and sewages, often blocking the way and causing water-logging. A major cause of the floods in Mumbai, India, in
August 2005 was the choking of the drainage system by plastic waste. So polythene bags should not be used for garbage disposal.

Measures taken to prevent from the dangerous effects of plastics

Adopt healthy practices such as:
• Reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.
• Carry jute or cloth bags for shopping
• Do not store food items in plastic bags.
• Do not burn plastic items.
• Recycle plastics so that new plastic items can be made.
• Waste that does not decompose should be put in blue dustbins, while waste that decomposes easily should be put in green dustbins.

Glass Recycling

• One of the most interesting thing about glass is that glass can be recycled again and again. As it never wears out. Most glass bottles and jars that we use contain at least ¼ of the recycled material.
• Did you know that, the energy saved by recycling just one bottle can light a hundred watt light bulb for four hours!

Other Facts on Recycling
• The first municipal dump was formed in ancient Athens in 400 B.C.
• Every year we dispose around 24 million tons of leaves and grass clippings, which can be used by converting to compost to conserve landfill space.
• Use and throw bags are a waste of trees (paper bags) or fossil fuels (plastic bags). Not just that, they also contribute to water pollution during their production. Reusable cloth or paper bags are a better alternative to single use bags.
• The recycling symbol was designed by Gary Dean Anderson in the year 1970.
• Plant waste like potato, orange, banana peels and grass cutting, leftover food, can quickly fill up the garbage can. This kind of waste can be easily used to make compost, which is a very good fertilizer for plants.
• Did you know that, up to 80% of an average car is recyclable?
• Taking a shower, instead of a bath can help save around 50 gallons of water!

Remember the 4 R’s of managing waste :
• Refuse things that increase garbage
• Reduce garbage by consuming less and throwing less
• Reuse wherever possible
• Recycle

Keywords
Landfill : Low lying open area used to dispose off the garbage of a town or city.
Biodegradable waste : Waste that will decay and mix with the soil.
Non-biodegradable waste : Waste that will not decay and mix with the soil.
Vermicomposting : A method of composting where compost is made from biodegradable waste with the help of redworms.
 

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. The garbage contains which of the following?
(a) Plastics
(b) Metal containers
(c) Groundnut shells
(d) All of these
Answer : D

Question. Where do we throw away the garbage from our home?
(a) At a distant place
(b) At our door steps
(c) In dust bins
(d) All of the above
Answer : C

Question. By whom is garbage taken away from dust-bins?
(a) By Safai-Karamcharis
(b) By birds and animals
(c) By wind
(d) All of these
Answer : A

Question. Where do Safai-Karamcharis take the garbage after collecting it from dust-bins?
(a) To their homes
(b) To distant markets
(c) To landfills
(d) Any place of their choice
Answer : C

Question. Landfill
(a) is a low lying open area
(b) is a low lying open area, where the garbage collected from a city or town is dumped
(c) is a place where truck loads of garbage are dumped
(d) All of the above are correct
Answer : B

Question. How is garbage handled at the landfill site?
(a) It is spread as such over the landfill site
(b) It is separated into useful and non-useful components and then spread over the landfill site
(c) Both the above are correct
(d) None of the above is correct
Answer : B

Question. How are useful components of garbage utilized?
(a) They are dumped in compost making areas
(b) They are taken to various factory sites
(c) They are used as such
(d) None of the above is correct
Answer : A

Question. When somethings in garbage rots completely and did not smell, it
(a) becomes manure
(b) can be mixed with soil to provide nutrients to plants
(c) Both the above are correct
(d) None of the above are correct
Answer : C

Question. The rotting and conversion of some materials into manure is called
(a) fertilization
(b) utilization
(c) composting
(d) None of these
Answer : C

Question. In some cities we find dust bins of two different colours for collection of garbage. These dustbins are usually of which of the following two colours? 
(a) Green and yellow
(b) Green and red
(c) Blue and red
(d) Blue and green
Answer : D

Question. Which kind of materials are to be collected in blue coloured bins?
(a) Plastics
(b) Metals
(c) Glass
(d) Materials that can be used again
Answer : D

Question. What kind of materials are to be collected in green coloured bins?
(a) Kitchen waste
(b) Plant waste
(c) Animal waste
(d) Those materials that rot completely when buried in soil
Answer : D

Question. Is it correct to burn the huge heaps of dried leaves that are collected at various places?
(a) Yes
(b) No
(c) Can’t say
(d) All are correct
Answer : B

Question. What is vermicomposting?
(a) It is a method of preparing compost
(b) It is a method of preparing compost with the help of organisms
(c) It gives a vermilian coloured compost
(d) All of the above are correct
Answer : B

Question. The organisms that are used for vermicomposting are
(a) a type of earthworm
(b) called red worm
(c) Both the above
(d) None of the above
Answer : C

Question. The red worms used in vermi composting need food like
(a) Deadworms
(b) Plastic bags
(c) Broken toys
(d) Vegetable and fruit wastes
Answer : D

Question. To make a comfortable home for red worms
(a) Dig a pit about 30 cm deep
(b) Dig a pit about 30 cm deep at a place which is very hot
(c) Dig a pit about 30 cm deep at a place which is very cold
(d) Dig a pit 30 cm deep at a place which is neither too hot nor too cold
Answer : D

Question. Which of the following may be spread at the bottom of pit dug to make home for red worms?
(a) A net
(b) Wire mesh
(c) Chicken mess
(d) Any one of net, chicken mess and wire mesh
Answer : D

Question. Which of the following may be given as food for red worms?
(a) Coffee
(b) Tea
(c) Vegetable and fruit wastes
(d) All of the above
Answer : C

Question. For redworms the food should be
(a) put at the top layer of soil
(b) put at the bottom (about 30 cm) deep of the pit
(c) put at about 2-3 cm deep inside the pit
(d) All the above are correct
Answer : C

Question. The red worms
(a) have teeth to grind their food
(b) do not have teeth to grind their food
(c) need not grind their food
(d) swallow their food
Answer : B

Question. Which of the following structures help the redworms to grind their food?
(a) Mouth
(b) Teeth
(c) Tongue
(d) Gizzard
Answer : D

Question. Which of the following items when mixed in wastes help red worms in grinding their food?
(a) Powdered egg shells
(b) Powdered sea shells
(c) Both the above
(d) None of these
Answer : C

Question. Which of the following cannot be converted into less harmful substance by process of composting?
(a) Peels of vegetables and fruits
(b) Plant and animal wastes
(c) Paper
(d) Plastics
Answer : D

Question. Which of the following can be recycled?
(a) Paper
(b) Metal containers
(c) Newspapers
(d) All of these can be recycled
Answer : D

Question. There are two heaps of garbage.
Heap A contains peels of fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea leaves, food wastes, etc.
Heap B contains polythene bags, aluminium foils, old shoes and broken glasware.
Heap A and Heap B are buried separately in different pots and these pots are then covered with soil. After few days the soil is removed.
Which of the two heaps will appear black in colour and why?
(a) Heap A, in it the waste materials have rotten completely
(b) Heap B, in it the waste materials have rotten only partly.
(c) Both, in both the waste materials have rotten completely
(d) Neither A nor B, the waste materials in both of them have rotten only partly.
Answer : A

Question. Incidences of disease like skin cancer increases if _____________
(a) oxygen in air decreases
(b) nitrogen in air decreases
(c) carbondioxide in air increases
(d) ozone layer decreases
Answer : D

Question. What is the correct method to dispose garbage?
(a) To burn it
(b) To prepare manure from biodegradable garbage
(c) To recycle non-degradable garbage
(d) Both (b) & (c)
Answer : D

Question. Find the CORRECT statement
(a) Plants help in soil erosion.
(b) Embarkments are built across the slopes of hills to avoid soil erosion.
(c) Stray animals help to stop the soil erosion.
(d) To prevent the soil erosion, the speed of flowing water is increased.
Answer : B

Question. Why disposal of garbage has become a serious problem in big cities?
(a) Garbage is collected in large quantities.
(b) Garbage contains materials like plastic and thermocol which do not decompose.
(c) Garbage is not seperated into wet gargage and dry garbage.
(d) All of the above
Answer : D

Question. Banana peel : –––––––––––– : : plastic : nonbiodegradable.
(a) decomposer
(b) biodegradable
(c) non-biodegradable
(d) fruit
Answer : B

Question. How can you reuse plastic bottles and metal cans?
(a) By making compost from them
(b) By using them for storing things
(c) By melting them to form new products
(d) By either of these
Answer : B

Question. Which of these is causing most harm to the environment?
(a) Biodegradable waste
(b) Poisonous waste
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Plastic bags.
Answer : D

Question. Low lying land used to dispose garbage is called
(a) garbage dump
(b) landfill
(c) dustbin
(d) None of these
Answer : B

Question. If you want to recycle vegetable waste, bones, dry flowers and saw dust you will
(a) make compost from them
(b) burn them
(c) use them in landfills
(d) throw them in a lake/sea river
Answer : A

Question. This is a paste made of clay and paper. It is prepared for recycling of paper. It is
(a) paper-mache
(b) clay
(c) paper
(d) None of these
Answer : A

Question. Why do we develop composting areas near the landfill?
(a) To make the look of landfill beautiful.
(b) It is compulsory to develop such sites.
(c) To utilize some useful components of the garbage.
(d) None of these is correct explanation.
Answer : C

Question. Why are two separate bins provided, for collecting garbage, in some cities?
(a) It helps the city to be categorised in a better city.
(b) These are provided to collect separately the materials those which do not rot into garbage heaps and the wastes that rot completely when buried in soil.
(c) These bins are in different colours and attracts us to put the garbage in these dustbins.
(d) None of the above is correct.
Answer : B

Question. After a landfill site has been converted into a park or play ground, no construction is allowed over it for a period of A × 10 years, where A is equal to
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 4
(d) 8
Answer : B

Question. If the mass of a redworm is assumed as “A” gram. How much food can it eat in a day?
(a) 1 g
(b) 2 g
(c) A g
(d) 2A g
Answer : C

Garbage In, Garbage Out

I. Fill in the blanks :

1. Method of making compost using _____________ is called vermin composting 

2. Converting plant and animals wastes into manure is called ____________.

3. ____________ is an area where the garbage is collected.

4. We need to generate ____________ waste.

II. True or False Sentences :

1. Paper can be recycled to get useful products 

2. Drains get choked due to plastic thrown by us.

3. Plastics are eco-friendly.

4. Redworms eat up on green leaves on trees and make compost.

5. Plastics give out harmful gases up on heating or burning