Final answer:
The most common items in a landfill are ordered by abundance as follows: paper, plastic bottles, glass containers, and aluminum cans. Paper and plastic are typically the most prevalent, while aluminum cans are less abundant due to high recycling rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the abundance of items in landfills, we refer to the composition and classification of solid waste. While the composition may vary by municipality, a common and significant constituent in landfills is plastic, due to its large production volume and the fact that a considerable percentage of it is single-use and not always recycled. Below is an approximate ordering of items by abundance in a typical landfill:
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- Paper
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- Plastic bottles
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- Glass containers
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- Aluminum cans
Paper is typically the most abundant due to its widespread use and frequent disposal. Plastic bottles are also highly prevalent in landfills because a significant portion of plastic used is for single-use items, many of which do not end up being recycled.
Glass containers, while substantial, are often less abundant than paper and plastic. Finally, aluminum cans are the least abundant of the listed items, as they are frequently recycled due to the effectiveness of metal recycling in terms of energy and resource conservation.