As many landfills run out of space, some communities are making plans and tackling their heaping piles of garbage with innovativ
e solutions. Of the garbage Americans produce every day, only about thirty percent reaches a recycling center. Education about how and what to recycle is costly but essential. Much of the junk we consume and throw out is not designed with recycling in mind. This solid waste creates one of the biggest problems: recyclable material is clogging landfills. In order to extend the lifespan of their landfills, some communities are expanding recycling programs and trying new technologies to turn trash into energy. A few cities are planning new energy plants that burn garbage to produce energy while still producing less pollution than landfills. Several other cities have facilities that use bioreactor landfills to speed up the decomposition process for trash from 100 years to 5-10 years. The costs and pollution generated by landfills force communities to think creatively about what to do with everything we throw out. Which of the following sentences from the paragraph is the topic sentence?
1. In order to extend the lifespan of their landfills, some communities are expanding recycling programs and trying new technologies to turn trash into energy.
2. As many landfills run out of space, some communities are making plans and tackling their heaping piles of garbage with innovative solutions.
3. Of the garbage Americans produce every day, only about thirty percent reaches a recycling center.
4. The costs and pollution generated by landfills force communities to think creatively about what to do with everything we throw out.
Answer: 2. As many landfills run out of space, some communities are making plans and tackling their heaping piles of garbage with innovative solutions.
The main idea in this passage is that landfills in America are running out of space. Because of this, some communities are finding innovative ways to deal with their garbage. The rest of the passage provides details about these innovative ways. Some of the things that the passage mentions are recycling and turning trash into energy.
