| Production of waste is a global problem that won't | | | | organic compounds (VOCs) which can have a |
| just go away on its own so we constantly have to | | | | negative impact on health even at low doses. |
| find convenient and suitable ways of disposing of it. | | | | Greenhouse Gases |
| Every area of our lives involves getting rid of | | | | As the rubbish rots in a landfill site, Methane gas is |
| something, whether it is household rubbish, plastic, | | | | given off and as Methane is a greenhouse gas, this is |
| paper, metal, commercial waste or anything else for | | | | a major cause for concern. The liner in the landfill site |
| that matter that we simply don't want or need and | | | | helps to prevent the gas escaping. What often |
| wish to discard. | | | | happens is that pipes collect the Methane and carry it |
| Unfortunately today, most of our waste tends to | | | | to the surface where it can be burned off (a process |
| end up in landfill sites, which is far from ideal. Landfill | | | | known as Flaring) or it can be extracted and used as |
| has an immediate advantage in that it is convenient, | | | | fuel elsewhere. |
| however, there are other more serious issues | | | | Leachate |
| regarding landfill which are not so advantageous to | | | | Leachate is produced in landfill sites from water and |
| human or animal health or for the environment | | | | liquid draining from the rotting rubbish and again, the |
| despite the protection agencies, legislation and | | | | liner helps prevent this substance from contaminating |
| monitoring that is in place. | | | | the surrounding land and water systems. Pipes will |
| The introduction and steadily rising cost of The | | | | usually collect Leachate and pump it to the surface |
| Landfill Tax is designed to reduce the amount of | | | | where it may be re-circulated but if a lot of Leachate |
| waste deposited in landfill by encouraging waste | | | | is produced it will often be sent to wastewater |
| producers to produce less waste and to reuse or | | | | treatment plants. |
| recycle mixed waste rather than to dump it. Landfill | | | | Time |
| sites are heavily regulated and monitored by | | | | Another major problem with landfill is that some |
| environmental agencies in an attempt to minimise the | | | | non-biodegradable substances such as plastic bags for |
| risk to health and the environment. | | | | example, can take maybe hundreds of years to |
| What is landfill? | | | | break down. There is no light or oxygen in landfill so |
| Simply put, landfills are sites, sometimes old quarry | | | | rubbish cannot be broken down very quickly. |
| sites, where waste is deposited into the ground in | | | | Health Risks |
| order to rot. As each new load of rubbish arrives for | | | | Despite all the measures in place, several studies |
| disposal, it is pushed down and compacted into the | | | | have highlighted health risks in relation to landfill sites |
| site and then covered with a layer of soil. In order to | | | | and the full impact on human, animal and |
| prevent leakage of toxic material into the surrounding | | | | environmental health is still not clear and is being |
| earth and water, the landfill must first be lined in | | | | widely debated. |
| order to seal in the waste. | | | | Recycling - a solution |
| Once a landfill site has been filled to capacity, it has | | | | A large proportion of the rubbish ending up in landfill |
| to be capped or covered and a new site must be | | | | sites is not really rubbish at all as most of it could |
| found. Usual ways of covering are with a layer of | | | | serve other more useful purposes with a far less |
| plastic, more soil, a protective covering, sand, more | | | | damaging effect or could be recycled to produce |
| soil and then something like grass. This helps keeps | | | | new products. So, by far the best way to minimise |
| rodents away and minimises the risk of waste gases | | | | the amount of waste going to landfill and reduce the |
| and other toxins being released into the surrounding | | | | impact on health and the environment, is to reuse or |
| land and waterways. | | | | recycle as much waste as possible. |
| Problems with Landfill | | | | Currently, only around 7 or 8 per cent of household |
| Currently around 80% of our household rubbish ends | | | | waste is recycled but if more people were aware of |
| up in landfill sites and as the amount of rubbish | | | | the risks associated with landfill they might be |
| continues year after year, a major problem is that | | | | prepared to make more effort to sort and either |
| basically, we are running out of space. It isn't easy to | | | | reuse their waste or recycle it at one of the growing |
| find a new site for landfill either as no one wants to | | | | number of recycling depots. One mans trash is |
| have it in their "back yard" so to speak. Apart from | | | | another mans treasure as they say so waste not |
| the risk of explosion, landfill sites also give off | | | | want not. |
| unpleasant odours and gases and contain volatile | | | | |