Garbage

Season 01

Episode 13

Duration 23:05

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Every day, people throw things away. But where does all that garbage go? In this episode, Bill Nye explores what happens to trash, how landfills work, and why recycling matters.

Garbage doesn’t just disappear. Some trash gets buried in landfills, while other waste is burned or recycled. However, too much trash harms the environment. Bill Nye explains how we can reduce waste and keep the planet clean.

Where Does Garbage Go?

When people throw things away, the trash usually ends up in one of three places:

Landfills – Workers bury garbage in massive sites.
Incinerators – Special facilities burn waste to reduce its size.
Recycling centers – Machines and workers sort materials to create new products.

Because landfills fill up quickly, cities must manage waste carefully. Some garbage takes hundreds of years to break down. For example, plastic can last for centuries in a landfill.

Bill Nye’s Fun Experiments

Bill Nye makes garbage science fun with exciting experiments!

Decomposition test – He buries different items to show how long they take to break down.
Recycling in action – He demonstrates how cans, paper, and plastic transform into new products.
Trash sorting challenge – Bill explains how sorting waste keeps recyclables out of landfills.

These experiments prove that waste doesn’t just disappear—it affects the planet in big ways.

Why Recycling Matters

Recycling saves resources, energy, and space. When people reuse materials, fewer natural resources are needed to make new products. For example:

Recycling paper protects trees and reduces deforestation.
Reusing plastic keeps pollution out of oceans and landfills.
Recycling aluminum cans saves energy compared to producing new ones.

Bill Nye explains how small changes, like using reusable bags and bottles, can help reduce waste.

The Impact of Too Much Trash

When garbage is not managed properly, it harms the environment. Overflowing landfills pollute the air and water. Plastic waste enters the ocean, where it injures animals. Additionally, burning trash releases chemicals that affect air quality.

Scientists and engineers continue developing new waste management strategies, including composting and biodegradable materials. These solutions reduce pollution and protect the planet.

How We Can Reduce Waste

There are many ways to cut down on garbage. Bill Nye shares simple but effective strategies:

Reduce – Buy products with less packaging and use fewer disposable items.
Reuse – Find new purposes for old items instead of throwing them away.
Recycle – Sort waste properly so materials can be used again.

By following these steps, people can help keep the planet clean and reduce landfill waste.

Conclusion

Trash doesn’t just disappear—it must go somewhere. Bill Nye reminds viewers that reducing, reusing, and recycling are the best ways to protect the environment.

The next time you throw something away, think about where it’s going. Small changes make a big impact on the world around us!

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Interactive Science Lesson

Garbage

Based on Bill Nye the Science Guy · Season 1, Episode 13 · 22 min

Every day we throw away mountains of food, plastic wrappers, and broken toys. But there is no magical away! Everything we throw out has to go somewhere, and it stays right here on our planet. Let us dive into the messy science of waste and discover how we can reduce the massive piles of garbage we leave behind.

Step 1 of 6 · Engage

Engage

Where Does All Our Trash Go?

Explore

Put Your Instincts to the Test

Think about what you already know about recycling and rubbish. Pick an answer for each question, then see if your instincts were right.

What does it mean if a material is completely biodegradable?

What exactly is a modern landfill?

What is the absolute most effective way to help the environment?

Explain

Understanding the Science

Let us break down the science of decomposition, toxic waste, and the amazing power of recycling with Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Key Concepts

Try It: The Interactive Biodegradation Timeline

Take control of a virtual testing ground! Below, we have dropped four different items into the dirt: a natural apple core, a newspaper, an aluminium soda can, and a human made plastic bottle.

Use the slider to speed up the clock by hundreds of years! Watch very closely to see which natural items decompose and dissolve quickly to feed the soil, and which human made items stay buried in the dirt almost forever.

Live Decomposition Data

Time Passed

Today

Apple Core (Natural)

Fresh

Newspaper (Paper)

Intact

Aluminium Can (Metal)

Shiny

Plastic Bottle (Human Made)

Perfect Condition

Drag to Speed Up Time

Today 450 Years

Elaborate

Apply Your Knowledge

Let us see if you can match these waste management concepts to their correct definitions.

Match the Concepts

Click an object to select it, then click the matching description to place it.

Items

Ecosystem

Toxic Waste

Composting

Landfill

A perfectly connected community of living things where absolutely nothing is ever wasted.

Highly dangerous chemicals that can cause severe harm if they leak into the dirt.

A natural recycling process where food scraps rot down into incredibly rich soil.

A massive hole specially designed to permanently bury and seal away human garbage.

Real World Challenge

Imagine you are the manager of a massive school cafeteria. Every single day, hundreds of students throw away untouched food, plastic forks, and paper trays. Using your knowledge of recycling and composting, how would you radically redesign the cafeteria waste system to stop all this garbage from going to a landfill?

Science Update

What Has Changed Since This Episode Aired

This episode first aired in the 1990s. While organic material still breaks down the exact same way, modern science has uncovered new dangers and brilliant new solutions for our global waste!

Evaluate

Test Your Understanding

Answer these questions and get instant feedback. How many can you get right?

Reflection

Think about all the different things you have thrown into the bin today. If you had to carry all your own garbage around in a backpack for an entire month, what specific habits would you change immediately to make your backpack lighter?

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Garbage

Where Does Garbage Go?

Bill Nye’s Fun Experiments

Why Recycling Matters

The Impact of Too Much Trash

How We Can Reduce Waste

Conclusion

Bill Nye The Science Guy

Season 1 (20 episodes)

Season 2 (20 episodes)

Season 3 (21 episodes)

Season 4 (19 episodes)

Season 5 (20 episodes)

Episode Discussion

Join the Discussion Cancel Reply

Garbage

Where Does All Our Trash Go?

Put Your Instincts to the Test

Understanding the Science

Key Concepts

Waste

Biodegradable

Landfill

Recycle

Compost

Toxic Waste

Ecosystem

Conservation

Try It: The Interactive Biodegradation Timeline

Live Decomposition Data

Apply Your Knowledge

Match the Concepts

Real World Challenge

What Has Changed Since This Episode Aired

Test Your Understanding

Results

Reflection