How Do We Solve Our Trash Problem?

In the US, over 50% of trash (that's 1000 pounds per year, per American citizen) sits in landfills waiting to decompose...or not decompose. In this episode of Fw:Thinking, Jonathan Strickland explores the future of environmental science and some creative ideas that aim to solve our problems with pollution and waste management.

How would YOU solve the trash problem? We want to know! Share your ideas in the comments.

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[spartanchuckles]

one of the biggest ways to reduce the trash problem - reduce waste. this may mean using reusable shopping bags (like cloth) for groceries, random other stuff. (this will reduce or get rid of the need of plastic bags at stores). doing things like buying reusable water bottles/mugs for hot drinks (so there will be less waste from starbucks/tims/McDonald coffee cups.

there is so many ways that we can greatly reduce our waste. I don't know if we will ever get to 0% waste, but we can definitely work at reducing waste, recycling and reusing stuff as much as possible, etc.

[PerfectAlibi]

We should recycle a LOT more.

All the metals and plastics that still end up in landfill could still be recycled.

[alexwilliams]

Hello YouTube. The world garbage problem I think is caused by a misunderstanding that Earth is our life support system rather than something we just keep taking resources from. I've researched the global waste problem and have found some internet articles/documentaries stating it's really bad and others saying the problem is being solved. Here's some ideas, some may be good others dumb, I'm no expert.
1. Lasers- millions of degrees (example National Ignition Facility USA 10 Million degrees Celsius), could vaporize any waste type?
2. Nuclear fusion reactors- also really hot, waste could be put in a metal box then put in a chamber above to equalize pressure and dropped into plasma (Tokamak type)
3. Acids- some are really strong and can dissolve metals
4. Underground nuclear/thermobaric/napalm weapon explosions (huge pits could be dug, filled, covered and bomb exploded)
5. Volcanoes (put in metal container to sink before melting)
6. Collision-Vaporization (Sandia Laboratory conducted a test where a plane was slammed into a concrete wall at 700 mph and vaporized on impact, maybe a cone-shaped container accelerated to high speeds could be vaporized along with waste contents?)
7. Deep borehole disposal (Soviet Union dug Kola Superdeep Borehole, several miles depth, maybe more could be dug in remote areas?)
8. Suborbital space container reentry vaporization- capsule (metal no heat shield) shot into suborbital trajectory via rocket could reenter atmosphere and be vaporized along with waste
9. Lightning rods (lightning turns sand into glass), maybe waste piled around one could be vaporized?
10. Capsule storage (landfill alternative until technologies get better- giant concrete/metal/plastic capsules could be used for storage and stacked, no leachate leaks like landfills?)
11. Trash tanks- similar to oil terminals- big tanks where waste could decompose and leachate could be contained?
12.'Macrowave' (like microwave only bigger- heat device used to fry waste?)
13. Solar tower- sunlight used to fry waste (similar to solar tower energy), vaporizing it (or via satellite mirror for more heat)?
14. Better landfills (meantime before better tech is developed)- metal/concrete/plastic/glass liners to avoid pollution from leachate?
15. Nanomite consumption

The global waste problem is solvable I think like most issues. It needs to be soon since our population is rising and making more waste. Some things like Zero-Waste Recycling, Trash-Energy systems and Plasma Gasification show promise. Also reducing global population along with our material-loving culture may help. Lets stop trashing the Earth.

[inbetweentics]

I got an idea to add to ways of solving the problem - learn to restrain and refrain ourselves from dumping trash into the ocean, other water ways and everywhere on land. Hm, I guess that means it would require some EFFORT on the part of each person to take responsibility for every single thing they consume and what's left afterward. It's a novel idea, I know, but I think it's one worth doing. And yes, I recycle everything I can - you name it, I recycle it. What I have left behind could easily be incinerated and would become as you pointed out, energy to run the whole operation. We all need to take individual responsibility for every action we do on this planet and if you're not recycling everything you can and searching for ways to continue to be good stewards of this planet that gives us life, then you're contributing to the problem.

[vedant]

I think waste is actually not waste but as u said its like A FUEL or a source of energy which is unsorted and in a kind of bad condition. If we can make a portable sorter to get the material out of landfill to our stations then we can actually reuse and process it . And innovation is always there to help us out.

[carldawgh]

a world wide culture of overconsumption is the problem

[rishabkumar]

Thank you for this innovative idea .please try to implement this on our society.This idea can also done in India.As a civil engineer in my sight of recylcling the plastic waste, we can make it to the compressed boxes called "plastic bricks".it can also be used for construction purpose by coating hard refractories on them.

[VLOGNOSIS]

I'm working on a vlog right now that covers part of the solution up front... I discovered a fashion corporation that throws thousands of pounds of clothing & purses into landfills. I'm hoping to convince them through SHAMING that they could donate these products (or recover the fibers) instead. Reduce & re-use are the best IMHO.

[DeathItself]

People when throwing one candy wrap:
That's a tiny trash!!!

Yea that's what billions said.

[chancenicely]

Everyone needs to stop packaging everything.

[Wrongrealities]

You're right, but that's a hard pill to swallow for a lot of people. It is clear that the planet is over populated. Some people think that the human population should be no larger than 500, 000 world wide. I think that's a bit low, but a good number to have on each continent. This would solve more than just the trash issue. There would be no hunger, we would not be forcing other creatures into extinction and global warming would only happen because of a natural event.

[gregrichey]

Why focus on processing it?

Why not focus on reducing it?

In my mind the IRS promotes a massive amount of landfill by their inventory rules.

We need to quite leaning on consumption to stimulate the economy.

Eventually a heavy price will be paid.

[diegoperez]

Waste would not be a problem if it got incinerated to produce electricity and heating like it's done in Scandinavia and Germany.

[bernardchevrefils]

Thinking about it, most trash we generate is plastic and all kinds of it. Most "trash" really isn't if it is properly sorted out. Food should be composted. Ban all small packages and favor big packages and reusable containers that can be washed as well.

[danielfortune]

I think our modern way of wasteful living can be reversed, however people aren't willing to give up luxuries. I think for efficient ways of processing trash are necessary to sustain life for us and preserve life on our planet. Biodegradables are great but we still have a plastic crisis that needs to be taken care of.

[cenaradavies-bell]

I think there needs to be a far greater push to educate the public both in waste and energy (because there is also energy waste) and their roles in climate change. Along side better systems for landfill sorting and strict regulations for people and business to sort at the source. If you're to lazy to sort your waste into the correct recycling bin's leaving someone else to have to deal with that then you should have to pay for it.

2019 here.
Has this had any progress?

[MeLoSonn]

We should continue to educate our future the proper way to solve problems. Showing them the importance of life it self. To over come all issues we currently have around the world. Giving everyone the opportunity to be responsible and respectful to our future on earth and beyond.

[BurningApple]

dig a hole near the earth's core - not throught the crust but so its very hot, build a system to drop waste into that hole where it will combust and the prodcuts can be stored.

[jaymorpheus]

Hold up there... cross me off the list for 2012-2016 I only made 3-4 bags of garbage a year... about 10 bags total. I did not make 3, 000 pounds of garbage (which is about the weight of a car... or 2). I DID IT BABY!!!