How much waste went to landfills in Indiana?

Grade level:  4th – 5th grades

Skills: Circle graphs

Related environmental issues: Resource conservation & Recycling

The circle graph below shows how waste generated in Indiana was treated in 2015.

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  1. What percentage of waste was recycled in Indiana in 2015?
  2. Total amount of waste discarded in Indiana was 6,900 thousand tons.  How many thousand tons of waste was composed?
  3. Indiana has set a goal to reduce its waste sent to landfills to 50%. How many more percentage of waste need to be either composed, recycled, or combusted to achieve its goal?

Sources: Indiana Department of Environmental Management, 2016. 2015 Recycling Activity Summary

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Answer keys

  1. 7% (100 – 82 – 6 – 5 = 7)
  2. 345 thousand tons (6,900 x 0.05 = 345)
  3. 32% (82 – 50 = 32)