Question

There are two heaps of garbage. Heap A contains peels of fruits and vegetables, egg shells, tea leaves, food wastes, etc. Heap B contains polythene bags, aluminium foils, old shoes and broken glassware. Heap A and Heap B are buried separately indifferent pots and these pots are then covered with soil. After few days the soil is removed. Which of the two heaps will appear black in colour and why?
A) Heap A, in it the waste materials have rotten completely B) Heap B, in it the waste materials have rotten only partly. C) Both, in both the waste materials have rotten completely D) Neither A nor B, the waste materials in both of them have rotten only partly.

Answer 1

A) Heap A, in it the waste materials have rotten completely

Explanation for correct option

• Organic materials like fruits, vegetables and tea leaves, etc. decompose at a faster rate.

• It depends upon the nature of the material but usually, the food material decomposes in 5 days to 1 month.

• Therefore, Heap A, in it the waste materials have rotten completely

Explanation for incorrect option

• B) Heap B, in it the waste materials have rotten only partly.

• This option is incorrect because polythene bags take around 100 years to rot, glass takes 4000 plus years to decompose and aluminium foil takes 400 plus years in landfill to decompose.

Explanation for incorrect option

• C) Both, in both the waste materials have rotten completely

• It is incorrect because the above explanation shows that heap A can decompose but heap B can't.

Explanation for incorrect option

• D) Neither A nor B, the waste materials in both of them have rotten only partly.

• It is also incorrect as we have seen that heap A can be decomposed completely due to the nature of waste.