When you throw something in the trash, soon a garbage truck will come to take it away. Then where does it
go? That depends on where you live. Different towns deal with trash in different ways.

Recycling
A recycling truck picks up paper, cardboard, metal, plastic and glass. These go to the recycling plant to be sorted and made into new things.

Incinerator
An incinerator is a huge stove that burns trash to make heat and electricity. The
ash that’s left gets buried in a landfill. Trash ash can be poisonous, so it has to be stored carefully. But is takes up a lot less room than just plain trash.

Compost
Food waste might go to a composter. In a compost heap (堆肥堆), bacteria and worms break down dead plants and old food. They turn it in into good, rich oil. Some people keep compost heaps in their gardens. Big commercial composters
handle waste from restaurants and farms.

Landfills
Some trash gets buried in landfills. A landfill starts as a big hole. Trucks dump trash. Big earth movers push it into place and crush it down. They cover the trash with dirt to keep scavengers (食腐动物) away. The bottom of a landfills is lined with a barrier to keep bad things from leaking into the ground. Pipes drain away liquid. When the landfill is full, it’s covered with earth. It might become a
park or lawn.