The Long Life of Refuse
How long does it take for common refuse to decompose? According to figures published by the Italian periodical Focus, it takes from three to six months for paper handkerchiefs or vegetable wastes to be destroyed, from 1 to 2 years for cigarette filters, 5 years for chewing gum, and from 10 to 100 years for aluminum cans. But some plastic materials "remain unaltered for centuries . . . They are not dissolved by water . . . , and no microorganisms are prepared to feed on them." Polystyrene, commonly used for packing material and for containers for food and drink, will perhaps only be broken down in the course of a millennium, and 4,000 years must pass before glass bottles return to their place in the natural cycle.