Waste Sorting, Collection, And Disposal

Hi folks, my name is Loretta Johnston, and I’m here from the Baltimore Department of Public Waste.
Thank you for coming out to our community meeting tonight. I’ve got a few words to say about the waste
collection here in Baltimore.
First, there’s the sorted collection bins themselves. They’re made of sturdy, solid material, so none of
your trash can seep out or puncture the bin. Also, since these things sit out on the curb overnight rain or
shine, they have to be waterproof.
We can’t have water getting up in it and filling up the bin. Remember to pay attention to which bin is
which, and sort your waste accordingly. You should have a blue or green bin for recyclable garbage, a
yellow bin for unrecyclable garbage, and a red bin for toxic waste.
Our citywide waste management is divided into two services. The first is commercial waste collection, or
trash collection from buildings. The majority of building waste is paper, which goes in the blue or green
bins.
You’ll notice in your office buildings there are signs that warn you not to overfill these bins. All that
paper adds up, and an overflowing bin is infinitely harder for collectors to carry to the truck and empty.
Aside from paper, another large source of building waste is metals. Metals such as tin and aluminium can
be put in the yellow recycle bins, but metals like lead and copper should be disposed of in the red bins.
These heavy metals are harmful to the environment and exacerbate our city’s existing pollution problem.
That’s about all the information you need for building waste. Moving on to the second service, household
waste collection is probably what you primarily think of when you think of what we do here...
Many of the same guidelines apply - the sorting is the same, et cetera. Please remember to keep garbage
like kitchen waste in a plastic bag. It makes collection easier and lessens the abominable rotten-trash
smell.
So after we take your trash away, what happens to it? We take all the garbage to one of a number of
garbage disposal plants, each of which is located in the middle of an open space of some sort.
No one wants to have their home or office right next door to a waste disposal plant, right? Waste is
collected and then disposed of once every four weeks.
A lot of trash can build up in that time, so we’re in the process of developing a plan to fund collection
more frequently. Ideally it would be collected weekly, but we will likely have to settle for biweekly. The
garbage trucks make their rounds to clear the bins at night in order to avoid traffic.
I’m sure you’ve seen how much waste your own household produces in a given week. Now imagine all
the trash produced by all the households in Baltimore. It’s a lot, right? It may surprise you that this
amount is only marginal compared to commercial waste.
Yep, the main waste producers are actually businesses, industrial facilities, retail, and offices. Hard to
believe humans produce that much waste, right? No wonder we have pollution problems!
Anyway, after all incoming waste is sorted, recyclables are sent to a recycling plant, while garbage and
toxic waste are transported to their respective areas of the plant for treatment. Items such as stones, which
should not be disposed of in our bins, are separated out and discarded.
Once the trash has undergone the treatment process, it is compacted and disposed of with all the other
trash and finally, when the landfill space is full, it is buried deep underground and in time something new
is built on the land.
That’s everything about waste collection. Thank you for listening. Are there any questions?
The Annual Ski And Snowboard Exhibition
Good morning everyone and welcome to the Annual Ski and Snowboard Exhibition held from April 8th
to 17th.
I am Mary Granger, coordinator of the event this year.
The 10-day event features many highlights.
As a snow sports lover, I know you are looking forward to a great time here.
Now I’d like to offer you some practical information about the whole event and what to expect from it.
This might be the first time coming here for some of you.
So for those who are still wondering about the right accommodation, I recommend Sky Hotel.
It has its own health and sports clubs just like most of the hotels here, but I love it because of its
incredibly cozy beds which guarantees good rest after an exhausting day of exploration.
If you haven’t brought your own equipment, like poles, boots and skis, they are available for purchase or
rent at Ski Set or Snow Rental.
The exhibition this year provides a colorful look into the history of skiing and an inspiring peek into the
future prospects of the sport.
Apart from the fascinating photo exhibitions and the most up-to-date skiing gear like always.
This year we have added four computers which can imitate the process of skiing, ensuring the same
physical activity and sensations that appear during the skiing process on downhill slopes.
But I have to warn you that it might be quite time-consuming to line up for the free trial experience.
Many have posed the question as to how to enter the skiing and snowboarding competition.
Well, rather than filling out the back of the entrance ticket or bombarding the committee with emails, the
most effective method is by checking out the exhibition newsletter delivered every month for availability.
As the most beloved local event, the exhibition has also drawn attention from the press.
Last year, massive media coverage was on the worrisome amount of snowfall.
In order to avoid the same predicament, several artificial skiing slopes have been built.
With more participants this year, we have lowered the entrance fee which has been widely reported by
local newspapers.
A bonus for our participants is the ski program.
It offers a wide variety of lessons and sessions with qualified instructors ensuring that all ages and
abilities are catered to from the first timers to seasoned amateurs.
I strongly advise you to sign up for the program as it is offering an unprecedented 30% discount.
That’s mainly because we are cooperating with the program organiser who promises affordable prices
only for the participants of the festival this year.
Now I would like to introduce to you the list of presentations during the following week so that you can
better plan your schedule.
The first presenter Simon is one of our best ski instructors.
As an experienced instructor, he will inform you about the dangers that face skiers and snowboarders.
Accidents happen mostly to those who are careless or ignorant.
Good risk management involves considering both the probability and consequences of an accident.
The next speech titled Solution is given by Jamie Kurt.
A list of problems may occur to novice skiers and snowboarders, so he is going to offer useful
information for first timers on choosing the appropriate gears, the right dress code and ways of protecting
your skin.
For instance, some of you may have rented the skiing equipment, but rental footwear is notoriously
uncomfortable.
Then Jamie will provide instructions to help make your footwear fit better.
The third speech is about a documentary introducing skiing and snowboarding and the difference between
the two sports.
It also depicts a group of snow lovers exploring new slopes with breath-taking views.
The director Andy Fisher will be there, addressing the whole shooting experience.
The fourth talk is about the tricks of skiing, presented by Harry Tyson.
It is most useful for those who have already tried skiing, yet still need more practice to master the sport.
Harry will teach you how to turn more skillfully.
A lot of people can keep their skis roughly parallel but there’s no point if you make it hard to work with
and slide around out of control.
Useful exercises will also be suggested to improve your parallel skiing technique so that you can tackle
steeper slopes and enjoy yourself more.
Johnson Smith will be the last presenter, mainly addressing towards advanced skiers. He manages to
apply snow climbing into skiing.
Climbing in soft snow, you are floundering around.
Walking becomes harder, so a good trick during climbing is to maintain a wider gait, approximately
shoulder width, so that you are more stable while walking.
This works for skiing as well.