Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about how the trash you throw away rather than recycling might end up in the oceans? Well now it is time to revisit this, but instead with more focus on the other place that trash ends up: in a landfill.
I think we can all picture the exact same image in our brains when the word “landfill” comes to mind. That huge area of land covered in piles upon piles of trash- pretty sure I can smell it. Nasty.
It is really not our first priority to consider what becomes of our trash when we throw it away, but regardless it eventually ends up somewhere on the ground, surrounded by lots of other garbage. Landfills contain a lot of solid waste that is not biodegradable, which means it stays there for years on end. This solid waste comes from a number of contributors- trash from homes, restaurants, schools, and *scarier* things like agricultural and medical waste.
There are a few different problems with landfills. First of all, they emit a number of toxic gases into the atmosphere, the most concerning of which being methane, which is said to be an agent in the warming of the atmosphere. Other gases are emitted as well that contribute to air quality issues. Another problem with landfills is that they can pollute the groundwater around them if they have leaks, and research has shown that around 82% of landfills have leaks. Health problems are more likely for people who live near landfills. They are more likely to be exposed to carcinogens and other harmful factors. These concerns arise from both the air and groundwater pollution that landfills cause.
So with every one of these environmental concerns, we have to ask why they continue to be a problem, and why people have not taken a lot of action towards stopping them. For this one in particular, a large portion of the reason is convenience, especially for those of us that choose not to dispose of our trash responsibly. However, there is actually more to landfills other than the fact that we as humans are lazy and resist change.
There are arguments out there that landfills are not just harmless, but actually helpful for the planet. Some people say that landfills are an environmentally safe and healthy way for disposing of garbage, nothing like the landfills that used to exist back in the day. According to this source, landfills are specifically and strategically placed so that they are out of the way and unlikely to cause problems with their location. The liquid that leaks from the waste is apparently carefully collected so as to not disturb the groundwater around them, and there are specific standards and regulations that govern the emission of pollutants into the air. It also mentions that landfill waste can be converted into usable energy in the form of electricity or otherwise.
It is interesting that this source has so many positive things to say about landfills and how good they are for the environment, but this does seem a little suspicious. While is it probably true that landfills are regulated a lot more responsibly than they used to be, this does not mean that there are not still landfills that are handled poorly and still cause all of the detrimental effects we hear about from other sources. It is still very important that we are responsible with our trash because there are still plenty of negative outcomes that can arise from this.
As with most of these environmental issues, there are alternative options that we can explore in order to help our planet. There are actually plenty of waste disposal methods that do not involve a landfill. The first of which is (obviously) recycling. There are so many opportunities to choose to recycle your used plastic, paper, aluminum, cardboard, etc. You just have to spend a few extra seconds thinking about which goes with which. This is by far the easiest way that we can reduce the impact of landfills. Another solution is known as waste to energy incineration. This is a process by which garbage can be burned in order to create energy that can be used in society (this is likely what was being mentioned in the previous article). A newer solution by the name of anaerobic digestion is coming into play more recently, where bacteria or other microorganisms convert waste to methane, which can then be used to power engines or further converted to natural gas. Finally, another waste disposal method we are pretty familiar with at PSU is composting. This allows for food waste to be broken down naturally in a very environmentally friendly way.
Landfills are something that is really difficult to completely rid the earth of. But with some extra thought behind waste disposal, we can actually make them something that is not too bad for the environment after all.
Climate change and environmentalism is such an important and relevant issue today, I’m glad to see your blog take it on and look at how we as individuals and as a community can make a difference. I think it’s important to note though, that when talking about plastic waste, recycling isn’t necessarily the best approach. Recycled plastic often gets “downcycled” into things people do not recycle, like the fibers in carpets. In this way, even though plastic may be recycled once or twice, it still ends up in a landfill or in the ocean. Limiting consumption of plastic is the best way to make a real difference.