Sunday, December 29, 2013

Why correct waste disposal is so important

By Harold Seer


Every year in England households and businesses create around 177 million tonnes of waste. Despite the fact that some of it is recycled, a large amount still goes to landfill, which is very damaging to the environment.

Everyone should try to reduce how much waste they produce, thereby decreasing how much rubbish ends up in landfill sites, and limiting the extent of the impact upon the environment.

Landfill sites are designated areas of land used by local councils and industries to compact and bury waste underground. Landfill sites usually have both household and commercial rubbish in them.

Landfill sites are necessary for disposal of rubbish which cannot be recycled or reused, but should be considered a last resort.

There are several reasons for reducing the amount of waste being disposed of in landfill sites. One such reason is the limited number of landfill sites available. Once capacity has been reached and the landfill sites are full, they are capped with plastic or clay liners, a small amount of soil, and then grass. They can never be used again.

An area the size of Warwick is taken up by landfill sites in Britain, according to reports in 2007. It has been suggested in recent studies that we could run out of landfill sites by 2018 if we fail to reduce the rate at which they are used.

It is well known that landfill sites are environmentally hazardous. As it decomposes, biodegradable waste gives off landfill gas, including the damaging 'greenhouse gases' methane and carbon dioxide. Methane can be particularly problematic due to its flammability, often causing explosions and fires at landfill sites. At some sites, the gas is burnt off, and others use the gases to generate electricity.

Leachate, a polluting liquid run-off, is also created by landfill sites. This has to be collected and disposed of at wastewater plants. If the leachate gets into rivers and streams, it can cause considerable harm to wildlife.

Because materials are put into these holes in the ground, they cannot be used again. If reusable waste is buried, the raw materials to manufacture replacements have to be obtained again and again.

Food waste and recycling collection services are provided by local authorities, as required by government policy. Hopefully, this will encourage the public to contribute to the reduction of waste going to landfill, by sorting waste at home.

Waste management companies are also contributing towards this reduction, by sorting rubbish once it is collected from commercial and residential locations. The waste is then sorted into recyclable waste, combustible waste; used to generate electricity, and items that can only go to landfill.

Everyone should contribute towards this effort, by sorting and recycling waste from our homes and businesses. This saves local authorities money, and ensures waste streams are purer. It is easier to recycle at source and saves money in the long term, offering a much more cost effective deal for the taxpayer.




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