LANDFILL: BANE OR BOON?

An approximate of 1.4 billion tonnes of waste is generated annualy. Ever wondered where it goes? The most common thought here is recycling. Sadly, it amounts to treatment of only 17% of the waste. The answer to the rest of 83% – landfills.

LANDFILL

A landfill is a site where all the waste gets dumped and is then eventually buried. Burial is the world’s oldest and most trivial method of waste treatment. For the educated folks such as us, a landfill is a carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which trash is isolated from the surrounding environment (groundwater, air, rain). This isolation is accomplished with a bottom liner and daily covering of soil. A sanitary landfill uses a clay liner to isolate the trash from the environment. A municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill uses a synthetic (plastic) liner to isolate the trash from the environment.

ADVANTAGES OF A LANDFILL

• Cost-efficient way of waste disposal system
• The gas emitted from landfills can be converted to natural gas
• Locations for waste disposal are specified, where waste can be processed.

DISADVANTAGES OF A LANDFILL

• The material that is dumped into the landfills may contain toxins which may mix up with soil and groundwater. These toxins are released in air making it toxic. Take an example of mercury, mercury is present in fluorescent bulbs. Inhaling even a small amount of mercury can harm our kidneys.
• Due to the dumping of organic materials in the landfills, greenhouse gases such as methane are produced and they are extremely flammable, therefore causing a threat to the environment and the people living in the surroundings.
• Poorly run landfills may become nuisances because of vectors involving rats and flies which can cause infectious diseases and hence causing serious health issues.
• When the landfills break down and water goes through them along with toxins, the liquid cocktail that is produced is called leachate. This leachate mixes with groundwater and contaminates it, making it unfit for consumption.

On weighing the pros and cons, it is certain that this method is not feasible for the long run and we need to come up with a method that does not affect us like it already is.