Landfill Near Me
Traditionally speaking, a landfill is a site that is used for the disposal of waste materials by burial. As the oldest form of waste treatment, landfills have always been the most common method of organized waste disposal and remain the most common way of disposing of waste around the world. Also known as a garbage dump, a tip, or a dumping ground, landfills can be found all over the United States and abroad.
Are you interested in finding a landfill near you? Simply browse landfill near me on the map below and find a list of landfills located within a few miles of your current location. Need a bit more information on landfills? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and more!
Landfill Near Me – Find it on the Map
Landfill Near Me – Landfill Trivia
What are the three main goals of every landfill?
Much like the average American, you may believe that a landfill is a pretty simple means of disposing of waste. After all, what’s difficult about dumping trash into a giant pit? Well, there’s more to a landfill than you may think. Typically landfill operators have to meet predefined specifications to achieve three main goals: confine waste to as small of an area as possible, compact waste to reduce the volume of trash, cover waste on a daily basis with layers of soil or wood chips. During all landfill operations, or scale or weigh bridge weighs the waste collected by vehicles on arrival. Afterwards, landfill personnel is responsible for inspecting the waste to ensure that all waste meets the landfill’s particular waste acceptance criteria. Afterwards, the collected waste is unloaded and then deposited. Compactors or bulldozers come into spread and compact the waste. After the waste has been unloaded and compacted, the waste is covered with soil or a similar material such as wood chips. Chipped wood is common along with spray on foam products known as “bio-solids” which provide a temporary blanket over the waste. This process is critical to extending the life of the landfill and helping to maintain space and some environmental integrity. As you search landfill near me, consider just how long of a process waste removal can actually be. Are you surprised by the steps that go into the waste removal process?
An example of a typical landfill in Canada.
What is the greatest advantage of disposing in a landfill?
Some individuals will argue that there are few if any advantages to landfill waste disposal, but for many countries a landfill is the most efficient and cost effective way to dispose of waste, especially in areas such as the US that have many large open spaces. Resource recovery and incineration methods require huge investments in infrastructure and extensive manpower to maintain proper practices. Conversely, a landfill employs fewer people, necessitates fewer fixed and ongoing costs, and landfill gas can be upgraded to natural gas, which is a potential revenue stream. Another advantage is that by having a specific location for disposal the waste can be monitored, processed, and picked through. This means that many blatant recyclable materials can be removed prior to tipping. As you search landfill near me, consider the advantages and disadvantages of using a landfill.Do you believe that the positives outweigh the negatives or should the US move towards a different method of waste disposal?
Landfill Near Me – Landfill Facts
Environmental Impacts
One major concern of many individuals searching landfill near me is the potential for dangerous environmental impact. While a landfill is far more responsible than some methods of waste disposal, it’s far from perfect as landfills do have the potential to cause a handful of environmental issues. For one, damage to access roads has been known to occur in close proximity to man landfills as heavy vehicles frequent the roads surrounding the landfills. This can lead to damage in the winter months and summer months when weather is already creating stress on blacktop roads. Pollution of local roads and water courses from garbage that has stuck to the wheels on vehicles leaving the landfill can also migrate from the wheels and cause damage to local water sources and surrounding infrastructure. This, along with landfill runoff, can pollute the local environment by contaminating groundwater, aquifers and soil. Because of these potential threats, many efforts have been made in recent years to capture and treat leachate from landfills before it even has the opportunity to reach groundwater aquifers or local waters sources. With the use of engineered liners, major strides have been made in reducing run off. Unfortunately, many of these liners only have a lifespan of around 100 years. Eventually, every one of these liners will leak and groundwater contamination will be inevitable. Of course, new ideas are being researched everyday to prevent any potential future incidents from happening.
Landfills and Gases
If you’re searching landfill near me, then you’re likely already aware that landfills can often emit a bevy of gases. Due to the mixture of rotting food and other decaying organic waste, methane and carbon dioxide inevitably seep out of the ground and up into the air. Methane is a known and potent greenhouse gas, which can be dangerous as it is highly flammable and potentially very explosive. In properly managed landfills, gas is collected and utilized. This can range from simple flaring, to landfill gas utilization practices. The most commonly produced greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide which has been known to trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Does the environmental impact of landfills change your minds about this efficient method of disposing of garbage or do you have other thoughts on what constitutes proper waste disposal practices?
