Reverse Outline

I annotated this through the eyes of another reader. 

Conclusion

     As we continue to advance as a species, we will continue to create great things that require our whole focus, thereby forgetting about the footprint we leave behind. Trash may not be a delightful thought, but its derivatives are even less so. Understanding the different types of waste and what they can do to us should drive us to consider our footprint a little more heavily, and do the world and everyone in it a favor by treating trash a little more seriously than just trash.

-       Must fix the first-person speech

-       Wraps up thesis of the essay?

Body paragraphs + ideas

-       Body Paragraph 1

o   Waste exists because we create it.

§  Breaks down different types of waste

-       Body Paragraph 2

o   The extent of the waste process that the normal American sees usually does not go far beyond putting the trash bin on the curb, and knowing the a garbage truck will pick it up to dump it in a landfill somewhere

§  Mentions what it would take to improve air quality

§  Does not go very deep into the current quality of air or how badly waste affects us now

-       Body Paragraphs 3 and 4

o   Rather than dispose of waste more efficiently, people have tried using excessive amounts of waste as a resource instead.

§  Introduces two successful methods that have been used to manage/utilize trash

o   These two methods are successful examples of what efficiency in waste treatment can achieve

§  Breaks down the ideas introduced in the previous paragraph, and author shares his own ideas

Thesis

Trash is very harmful to our environment, therefore it is in our best interest to understand the types of waste we produce, how it affects us, and explore methods to treat solid waste as efficiently as possible.