Municipal refuse is composed largely of unnecessary packaging materials and items that have4 been discarded because they weren’t built to last in the first place. Production of such goods5 causes the depletion of resources and environmental disruptions.6 Some of the solid waste in the United States, as well as in other countries, is deposited in7 unsightly, uncontrolled, smelly, polluting open dumps. Some wastes are dumped untreated into8 the ocean. However, most trash is buried in sanitary landfills. A sanitary landfill is an area where9 trash is deposited, compacted, and covered with soil daily to reduce pollution.10 Many metropolitan areas incinerate their garbage and use the heat to produce steam. Incineration11 is desirable because the volume of wastes is reduced and useful energy is harnessed, however12 incineration also generates pollution and creates dangerous toxic chemicals.13 If an item cannot be reused or repaired, it may be practical to recycle the materials from which it14 is made. In general, recycling conserves material resources and fuel reserves and produces less15 pollution than manufacturing from virgin sources.16 Recycling techniques include melting, repulping, composting and rendering. Recycling has17 stagnated in US society mainly because the cost of labor is high relative to the cost of energy. In18 addition, the economic externalities of manufacturing, waste disposal, and depletion of resources19 are generally ignored. However the shift in any relevant factor can change the balance. For20 example, in many cities the cost of disposal is rising, and as the result there is strong incentive to21 recycle or incinerate.
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