Problems with Landfills

One of the most obvious problems with landfills is that as the world population booms, we continue to need more of them and there just isn’t enough space, but unfortunately, this is only one of a growing number of concerns that need to be dealt with in the immediate future.

As we continue to over-consume, we run out of space to store garbage.

As awareness of greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect has grown, it’s been noted that landfills give off huge amounts of dangerous emissions. Communities living near landfills have always been subject to some health issues. Respiratory illnesses can be caused by the poor air quality and groundwater is subject to some contamination as well, which can lead to a host of health impacts.

In a larger environmental sense, landfills emit methane gas, which is a more dangerous greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. And while there are tools in place so that much of the methane can be contained, at least 25 percent still escapes into the atmosphere. It should be noted, of course, that the 75 percent contained is actually channeled so that it generates electricity, but the methane that is released causes serious damage to human health both in the short and long terms.

Before the greenhouse effect was more widely understood, one of the most common problems with landfills reported was toxic leakage. Even the most well-built and carefully monitored landfill will eventually leak and the community’s ground water will become contaminated. A large amount of household and industrial waste works its way into landfills and then finds its way into the water. Despite regulations, there is no such thing as a safe and clean landfill.

Simple acreage, combined with the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) effect, means it is getting more and more difficult to find a place to create a new landfill. Communities are right not to want them nearby, as even without the emissions and leaks, they are still unsightly and not good for property values. While the lack of appropriate space to build is perhaps not high on the list of problems with landfills, the more waste we all generate, the more of an issue it will become. Some American garbage is already being shipped overseas because we have run out of space to store it.

One of the most common tenets of the environmental movement, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," applies in full to landfills. It is imperative that we strive to consume less, as well as more wisely. For anyone who has seen the Oscar-winning 2008 film WALL-E, the visual of the piles and piles of garbage overwhelming the land is not actually so far from a reality. In the Western world, and America in particular, we are obsessed with consumption and so end up producing more trash than the rest of the world. The current economic crisis may assist people in consuming less, but these habits must be ingrained and remain in force when things pick up again.

Individuals and businesses must also be wiser and more proactive in their disposal of items. Despite regulations and the effort of environmental organizations to educate the public, many hazardous items that require special handling when being discarded end up in landfills. While being mindful to recycle common items such as glass, appropriate plastics, paper and aluminum, it is important to recycle electronics (such as computer monitors) and automotive-related items as well. There is nearly nothing in your home that can’t be disposed of safely, but you may need to expend a bit of extra effort. However, it is not difficult and worth it in the long run. Go to the Web site Earth 911 to learn about what items can be recycled and how to dispose of hazardous materials. It also gives you tips on smart buying as well, so that you can do more of your part to send less to the landfills.

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• Effects of Water Pollution
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