Word Match – Recycling, Part One

This quiz – the first of three on recycling – challenges your knowledge of recycling terms – and it’s a little on the difficult side. Try it out. See if you are up to speed on the latest recycling terminology.

The Words

a. Organic b. Paper c. PET d. Aluminum e. HDPE f. Greenhouse Gas g. Steel h. Climate Change i. Carbon Dioxide j. Sanitary Landfill k. Greenhouse Effect l. Compost

The Definitions 1. A thin material made of pulp from wood, rags, or other fibrous materials and used for writing, printing or wrapping. 2. A landfill that has been designed and engineered to accept municipal waste while ensuring minimal negative impact upon the environment. 3. Any gas that absorbs infra-red radiation in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), halogenated fluorocarbons (HCFCs), ozone (O3), perfluorinated carbons (PFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). 4. High density polyethylene. A type of plastic that is commonly used in milk and water jugs. 5. Sometimes refers to all forms of climatic inconsistency, but because the Earth's climate is never static, the term is more properly used to imply a significant change from one climatic condition to another. 6. A strong, durable material made of iron and carbon, and often other metals, to achieve different properties. It is used as a component in cans and as a structural material in construction. 7. The effect produced as greenhouse gases allow incoming solar radiation to pass through the Earth's atmosphere, but prevent most of the outgoing infrared radiation from the surface and lower atmosphere from escaping into outer space. 8. A term that refers to molecules made up of two ore more atoms of carbon, generally pertains to compounds formed by living organisms. 9. A heavy colorless gas (CO2) that does not support combustion, dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, is formed especially in animal respiration and in the decay or combustion of animal and vegetable matter, is absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and is used in the carbonation of beverages. 10. Refers to a solid waste management technique that uses natural processes to convert organic materials to humus through the action of microorganisms. 11. A lightweight, silver-white, metallic element that makes up approximately 7 percent of the Earth's crust. It is mined in the form of bauxite ore and is used in a variety of ways, including the manufacture of soft drink cans. 12. Polyethylene terepthalate. A type of plastic used to make soft drink bottles and other kinds of food containers. It also is used to make fabric.

The Answers 1. b 2. j 3. f 4. e 5. h 6. g 7. k 8. a 9. i 10. l 11. d 12. c