Garbage vs Trash
The terms garbage and trash are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to two different categories of waste. Both garbage and trash contribute to pollution, and some items can take a long time to decompose, causing harm to the environment. For example, a person in the U.S. throws away about 3.5 pounds of trash per day. Between Thanksgiving Day and New Year, Americans produce even more waste, much of which comes from wrapping papers and shopping bags. To better understand our responsibility in managing waste, it is crucial to know the difference between garbage and trash.
Key Takeaways
- Garbage refers to waste or refuse that comes from the kitchen and bathroom, typically consisting of food items and leftovers.
- Trash refers to waste that does not come from the kitchen, including items such as gift wrappings, shopping bags, fallen leaves and twigs, scrap of furniture, paint or paint products, and construction materials.
- Recycling efforts have made the distinction between trash and garbage more important, as waste disposal companies often collect and handle them differently.
Trash
Trash includes all worthless objects that you plan to throw out of your home. The origin of the word comes from Scandinavia, where it referred to fallen twigs and leaves of trees. It is generally assumed that trash consists of dry items, such as plastic and paper. Debris from tree cutting, grass clippings, and bagged leaves are also considered trash. Waste disposal companies typically collect trash as waste.
Garbage
Garbage refers to rubbish that mostly comes from your kitchen, such as food waste or leftovers. Garbage is not simply waste, which is a more generic term. Garbage specifically applies to waste or rubbish coming from your kitchen. In some places, garbage is collected daily by waste disposal companies.
Difference Between Garbage and Trash
- Garbage consists of waste or refuse that comes from the kitchen and bathroom, mainly comprising food items and leftovers.
- Trash includes waste that does not come from the kitchen, such as gift wrappings, shopping bags, fallen leaves and twigs, scrap of furniture, paint or paint products, construction materials, and other non-kitchen waste.
- In some cities, garbage is collected daily from homes by waste disposal companies, while trash is collected only weekly. In other cities, specific waste must be disposed of by the homeowner, and waste disposal companies do not collect it.
- The distinction between trash and garbage has become increasingly important due to recycling efforts.
