Garden waste dumping

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/garden-waste-dumping

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary components?Leaves, grass clippings, hedge trimmings, branches, weeds, and other plant residues
2. What is the ecological impacts?Soil alteration, nutrient enrichment, habitat disruption, invasive species introduction, and methane emissions
3. Why does dumping garden waste hurt animals and plants?Big piles of dumped waste can change the soil and block paths that animals use. They can also bring in seeds that grow into plants that push out the local, native ones.
4. How can dumping garden waste make the air warmer?When the waste breaks down without enough air, it creates a gas called methane, which is much stronger at warming the planet than regular carbon dioxide.

Anaerobic decomposition: Breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, often producing methane.
Eutrophication: Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.
Circular economy: An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources.