I’ll be blunt—we’re stinking up the place. Trash is deposited into landfills, or dumps. Usually these facilities are located next to large bodies of water. Methane gas builds up creating explosive, potentially dangerous situations. The thing is, approximately 50-60% of debris dumped into landfills is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. If each of us reduced our impact on landfills, we could conserve and preserve our community’s local natural resources, such as land, water and air. The process is easy and steps are imperative to sustaining our existence.
To prevent trash from interacting with soil and, ultimately, groundwater, a bottom liner system is installed. This liner, usually made of durable plastic, is approximately 30-100 mils thick. Sometimes compacted clay and/or fabric mat is placed on either side of the liner to further prevent contamination. Often the next layers consist of gravel, drainage and soil, respectively. Trash is deposited into cells, then compacted by bulldozers and other heavy machinery and topped with six inches of soil. Ideally, air is pressed out to prevent seepage of pollutants from the trash into groundwater. Leachate collection and methane collection systems are other features of landfills that intend to divert contaminants from natural resources.
There are multiple problems with landfill construction. First, old and new facilities do not always incorporate all of the layers, the preventative measures aimed at eliminating contamination of resources. Even the state-of-the-art bottom liners are too thin and easily destroyed by water, weather and rodents. Cells not compacted tightly enough allow air and water to percolate through the trash. Methane gas builds up, creating a volatile environment if not properly collected and released. Leachate – rainfall that percolates through the trash – is highly toxic. Landfills are usually located near large bodies of water, making collection and accurate testing of leachate difficult. Leachate, then, merges with water resources. Most importantly, living near landfills may increase one’s risk of cancer and other diseases. Landfills are a necessary part of our communities, but we must reduce our dependence on them. They should be our last resort options for disposing of waste, only.
My husband and I are in the process of moving. Over the years we have accumulated a lot of ‘stuff’—some we want to keep, some we want to purge. As we started planning our move, I decided to test out a system I read about that will allow me to pack and purge, without negatively impacting natural resources. This process is based on two of the five Rs: reuse and recycle. I set up four bins: keep, give away (reuse), recycle, and trash. Methodically, we are rummaging through drawers and closets, deciding into which bin each item belongs. When a bin is full, it is moved to the appropriate staging area. We put a lid on the “keep” bin and push it into the corner to be moved to our new place. “Give away” items are moved into bags and then into our truck to be delivered to a charitable organization. “Recycle” bins are lidded and placed into the truck for delivery to our neighborhood drop-off point. We put trash out for pick up. All of our trash – items that can not be reused or recycled – fills two small kitchen-size trash bags per week. And we could cut that back to one by re-enlisting our under-the-sink composting bin.
What can you do? Start by reducing your consumption. Purchase only items you will use completely. Look for items in reusable or recyclable packaging. Worn or ill-fitting clothing should be donated, not trashed. (See earlier article, Dressing for Our Planet’s Success.) Most household items can be exchanged through http://freecycle.org, or similar program. Find local artists or childcare facilities that will make subsequent use of difficult-to-recycle materials, such as plastic cottage cheese containers or metal coffee canisters. Take advantage of your community recycling services, private recycler or find a program in a nearby community that sets up public drop-off sites. Compost kitchen and yard debris, and use it to fertilize your lawn and landscape organically. You will reduce your trash volume by up to 60%, thereby protecting precious soil, water and air resources.
Recycling info:
Consumer Recycling Guide
Eco-Cycle’s Hard-to-Recycle Guide |
Christy Ilfrey |
| About the author: |
| Christy Tinsley-Ilfrey is an entrepreneur, gardener, eco-goddess; a wife, mother-to-be, daughter, sister; but mostly she sees herself as a writer. Someday, she hopes to become a really good one. Read more about her and by her at http://greenqueendom.blogspot.com or contact her at
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