Every day consumers throw away water bottles, food containers, paper, and countless other items without giving them a second thought. Once the trash leaves peoples’ hands and disappears into a bin, its story seems to end. Called “throwing something away,” where exactly is away?
After garbage leaves homes, schools, and businesses, its journey is only beginning. In Miami-Dade County, much of the waste collected by county, municipal, and private garbage trucks is first taken to one of three regional transfer stations. There, garbage is unloaded, compacted, and placed into much larger vehicles that carry it to disposal facilities.
Miami-Dade uses multiple landfills, including the North Dade and South Dade landfills. The county has also historically relied on its Resources Recovery Facility in Doral, where garbage could be processed into fuel and used to generate electricity. The facility, however, is currently not operating following a major fire.
Even recycling has a more complicated journey than many people realize. Miami-Dade accepts materials including paper, cardboard, cans, cartons, glass bottles, and certain plastic containers. Putting the wrong things into a recycling cart can contaminate it. According to the county, if a recycling cart is contaminated, its contents may not be recycled.
“I try to use recycling bins when I see them. It’s really interesting that you can’t recycle in a contaminated cart,” shared senior Sophie Yetming
The problem with the word “away” is that it makes waste seem like it disappears. A plastic bottle does not stop existing when the garbage truck drives away. Materials can remain in landfills for years, while plastics can break down into increasingly smaller pieces rather than simply vanishing.
In South Florida, what happens to waste is especially important. Since communities sit alongside sensitive environments, from groundwater to Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, trash that becomes litter can also enter streets and waterways instead of reaching a proper waste facility.
“When I see trash on the beach, I always try to grab it and throw it out in its appropriate place. It’s a habit,” shared senior Jillian Martinez.
So the next time you finish lunch and drop the container into the trash, think about what happens afterward. For many, it may take only a few seconds to forget about it. For the object, however, the journey may have just begun. “Away” is not really a place. It is simply somewhere most people no longer have to see.
