How long does it take rubbish to break down?
Today we predicted how long we think it takes for various rubbish items to break down in a landfill. We were VERY surprised to see the actual estimations that scientists have made. The statistics made us think very differently about buying products and throwing things away.
Remember to REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
How long does it take to break down?
Our Predictions | Actual | |
aluminum can | 50-80 years | 200-500 years |
Banana | 1 month | 3-4 weeks |
cigarette butt | 5 months | 2-5 years |
cotton rag | 1 year | 5 months |
glass bottle | Unknown/Forever | Unknown/Forever |
leather boot | 80-100 years | 40-50 years |
paper bag | 3-4 weeks | 1 month |
wool sock | 450 years | 1 year |
tin can | 2-5 years | 80-100 years |
plastic jug | 40-50 years | 1 million years |
Styrofoam cup | Unknown/Forever | Unknown/Forever |
rubber sole of boot | 200-500 years | 50-80 years |
plastic 6-pack rings | 1 million | 450 years |
1 comment:
Wow Room 16 you have done a great job collecting the statistics for these items. I cannot believe that it takes 2-5 years for a cigarette butt to break down.
Well done
Mrs Kernot
Post a Comment