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WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT OUR LANDFILLS?

By Kaitlyn Kerr

Picture: Abfall von Plastikflaschen und anderen Arten von Plastikabfällen auf der Mülldeponie by karepa. From Adobe

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When you think about saving the environment, your first thought goes to recycling, right?  What about the waste that is already in the landfills–is that not a part of the environment needing saving?  These were the thoughts running through my mind.  I wanted to find some sort of way to help our landfills decrease in size to make room for the trash that will inevitably come to them.  



A team of scientists did a study done in Shanghai, China, on a biofilter to help break down the trash in landfills over a quicker period of time; the study had positive results, and after ten or so years, the amount of waste had decreased (Zhou 137).  However, there is not much information about biofilters, so that avenue closed up.  While technology is advancing, this task is not meant for the untrained individual.  The average person can only do so much, and this just happens to be something not attainable at the moment. 


Why should we even worry about our landfills?  Are they dangerous?  Yes, and here is why.  The gases that are being released from the waste, methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), are greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, methane being the worst of the two (Vasarhelyi).  What causes methane and carbon dioxide to be released from trash is a process known as anaerobic decomposition.  When bacteria decompose the waste in landfills, they release the chemicals mentioned previously (U.S. EIA).  


Because landfills are so tightly packed, it means there is a higher density of gases that are released into the atmosphere. Another dangerous chemical landfills produce is leachate, which is a liquid that forms from waste and releases ammonia.  If ammonia gets into the environment, it causes eutrophication which sucks the oxygen from nearby water sources, killing oxygen-needing organisms (Vasarhelyi).  

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Picture: Science Direct: Guidelines for landfill gas emission monitoring using the tracer gas dispersion method by CharlotteScheutz and PeterKjeldsen

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There is some effort to contain these harmful emissions.  Because of the Clean Air Act, all landfills are required to have some sort of landfill gas collection and control system.  Some landfills collect methane and carbon dioxide to transform into electricity.  Other landfills burn methane leaving only carbon dioxide (U.S. EIA).  Landfills in California are using methane as a renewable energy source by turning it into synthetic and diesel fuel.  Along with that, they are able to burn it as an energy source.  According to Paul Gruber, “Every 25 tons of waste can create 1 megawatt of electricity…” (Schiller).  


Now here is what we can do about it.  We could help this dire situation by doing something that we have been told our entire life—recycling and composting.  One of the leading causes of methane emissions from landfills is organic waste (Deer).  Organic waste includes things like leftover food, wood, yard trimmings, and food-soiled paper waste (Calrecylce).  These are things that we come into contact with almost every single day.  The paper towel you used to clean up the orange juice with this morning, the thrown-out left-overs, and the branches you cut off of your bushes are all examples of organic waste that could be composted.  Another thing landfills have plenty of is plastic.  Your plastic water bottles or your juice jug you just finished could all be recycled to help save our dumpsters.  


It does not take much effort to get into the habit of recycling and composting.  Set aside a trashcan for your recyclables and look for the recognizable triangle you see on recyclable goods.  Make sure to clean them out first! Cleaning out your cans and bottles is an excellent way to prevent molds and curious critters from inspecting your waste.  

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Picture: Pela.earth: How To Compost At Home: The Ultimate Beginner Guide

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Composting is something that many people avoid because it seems too complicated when in fact, it is super easy.  There are ways to do it in homes with yards and even apartments.  By composting at home, you are taking one of the most significant contributors of trash out of the problem, food waste.  Instead of throwing the lasagna nobody ate in the trashcan, compost it by simply throwing it on top of your compost pile.  Pela.earth offers some great ways to compost and shows how easy it can be for people in any living arrangement.  


It is imperative that we become more conscious about how they throw away their trash.  You want to live a happy life on a happy planet, don’t you?  The change starts today.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2018, the average person recycled 1.16 pounds.  That’s over 400 pounds of recycling per year and you could do the same!

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WORKS CITED

Deer, Ryan. "Landfills: We're Running Out of Space." Road Runner. March 4, 2021. Web. March 27, 2022 <https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/landfills-were-running-out-of-space>. 


EIA. "Biomass Explained: Landfill gas and Biogas." U.S. Energy Information Administration. November 3, 2021. Web. March 25, 2022 <https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biomass/landfill-gas-and-biogas.php>. 


EPA. "National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling." Environmental Protection Agency. July 14, 2021. Web. <https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials#R&Ctrends>. 


Sawden, E. "How To Compost At Home: The Ultimate Beginner Guide." Pela. April 4, 2022. Web. <https://pela.earth/blogs/news/how-to-compost-at-home?utm_campaign=pmax&nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ax%3A15278149801%3A%3A&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_si={sourceid}&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl7qSBhD-ARIsACvV1X2OHrl-8nX7rNTjYSJgz-8O6ZNOQBj5DwCZNDI9aL7D4taSY13oy1UaAn3FEALw_wcB&campaignid=15278149801&adgroupid=&targetid=&creative=&network=x&device=c&matchtype=&keyword=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=15278149801&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl7qSBhD-ARIsACvV1X2OHrl-8nX7rNTjYSJgz-8O6ZNOQBj5DwCZNDI9aL7D4taSY13oy1UaAn3FEALw_wcB>. 


Schiller, Ben. "What if we could Deal with Landfills by Turning them into Clean Energy?" March 17, 2017, Web. <https://www.fastcompany.com/3068998/what-if-we-could-deal-with-landfills-by-turning-them-into-clean-energy>. 


Vasahelyi, Kayla. "The Hidden Damage of Landfills." University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Center. April 15, 2021. Web. March 15, 2022 <https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/04/15/hidden-damage-landfills>. 


Zhao, Youcai, et al. "Recycling of Aged Refuse from a Closed Landfill." Waste management &amp; research 25.2 (2007): 130-8. MEDLINE. Web.

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