What is toxic waste?


Targets
At the end of this unit, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. How is nature the perfect recycler?

1.1 What are plant and animal wastes?

1.2 How are plant and animal wastes recycled in nature?

1.3 What makes waste biodegradable?
2. What types of waste result from human activity?

2.1 What is toxic waste?

2.2 How is waste disposed of in your community?

2.3 How can we protect our natural resources?
3. How can we reduce the amount of waste produced?

3.1 How is a product made, used, and disposed?

3.2 Why is one packaging better than another is?

3.3 How have individuals and/or groups made a difference about waste in our world? 
Targets

You have probably seen the skull and crossbones symbol on a bottle or container before. This symbol warns you that the stuff inside the container is poisonous.
This is one kind of toxic waste. Toxic waste is liquid or solid material that will harm or kill living things or the environment. Some waste that people produce is toxic and must be thrown out differently than the way that natural waste is thrown out. If it were to be thrown in the garbage, it would end in a landfill and then leak into the ground or water around the landfill. This would harm the environment and could also hurt people or animals.
Some toxic waste might surprise you because you use it in your house. For example, a battery might not seem toxic, but the material inside the battery is toxic. That is why batteries should be brought to an eco station.
Toxic waste must be handled carefully and disposed of correctly.