How Landfills Work

How Landfills Work

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Did you know that some of the worlds greatest nature reserve and recreation grounds sits on safe landfills? But how are landfills constructed? For most of us the journey with trash ends when the garbage truck collects waste. However Waste is taken to burying/ dumping sites. There are two ways to burry trash: a dump or a landfill. Dumps are open holes where trash is buried in while landfills are designed structures onto or into the ground which isolates trash from the surrounding environment. A sanitary land fill is made or clay liner to isolate trash from the ecosystem while a MSW landfill uses a synthetic liner. The purpose of the landfill is to bury waste in such a way that is isolated from ground water, kept dry and not exposed to air. Under these conditions, the waste does not decompose. Landfill is not as compost, buries the waste in such a way that breaks down quickly. Over 228 metric tons of garbage is generated in the US with 37% being recycled or composed. Most solid waste includes paper products, plastic and food wastes. The amount of trash buried in landfills has tremendously increased in most countries, with the UK ranking the highest in burying the waste. In creation of landfills there are systematic steps to be carried out is:
Proposing the land fill
An environmental study has to be undertaken in order to determine
The amount of land required for landfill, Composition of earth and rock below, the flow of surface water on site, the impact of the proposed landfill on the environment and wildlife and historic or archaeological value of the proposed site

When the permits are issued, construction commences with building of roads leading to the land fill. The evocation of about 10 feet below the surface of the land is done.
Parts of the land fill
Bottom liner system - separates trash and subsequent leachate from groundwater cells
Leachate collection system - water that collects has spread through the landfill itself and contains pollutants
Covering or cap - seals off the landfill.
Cells- The spaces that hold the actual garbage. The cells are covered with six inches of soil and father compacted. Cell space is conserved by not allowing carpets, mattresses, foams from the landfills.
Storm water drainage- It reduces the leechates by keeping the landfill as dry as possible though excluding liquids from solid waste or keeping off rainwater from the landfill. Standard paint filters are used to sieve the waste before it can be accepted to the land fill. Ditches are also constructed to lead water away from the landfills into ponds. In the ponds soil particles are allowed to settle then tests are done before water is pumped to flow off-site.
Methane collections system -in the landfill is used to remove the methane gas from the site where its vented or burned
The land fill is later capped or covered with six inches of compacted soil or emulsions to keep away animals and prevent leakage of trash. Then the cap is covered with a 2-foot compacted soil in which light vegetation is grown. Seeping leachate can be repaired by excavating the area around the seepage and re-filling it with compacted soil. There is waste management practices used to monitor leakage of the waste into ground water in place. Landfills are definitely the safest structures to burry non-degradable and toxic wastes.

About the Author:
OCS is a waste management & recycling company.They provide residential, commercial garbage collection and recycling, OCS also offers data shredding services and roll off rentals in North & South Carolina.



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