Landfill is a somewhat antiquated way to deal with waste disposal. There are many landfill sites across the world and soon the planet is going to run out of space to accommodate the bulk of its non recyclable waste. Although some waste can only be stored in landfill sites professionals and scientists are trying to find new greener ways to dispose of waste that is usually stored in landfills.
The following information explains how landfills have been used throughout time and how we can reduce the damage that they cause.
Early Land Fill Sites
Landfill sites or simply tips as they are often known in Britain are one of the oldest ways to dispose of waste. Landfills are a simple yet potentially damaging way to dispose of organic and non bio degradable refuse.
When the Earth had a smaller population waste disposal wasn't so much of an issue as there was an abundance of free space to store waste on. As industry wasn't as developed and humans lived by more natural means waste disposal wasn't as big an issue as the majority of tools, foodstuffs and items used for storage and packing of goods were made largely from bio degradable materials such as paper, wood and cloth.
As industry began to develop and more mills and factories began to inhabit the earth humans began to develop new materials which were synthetic in construction and so did not decompose in similar methods to organic materials made from trees and plants. In order to dispose of materials such as plastics, reinforced card and other oil based products waste disposal committees started to create landfill sites.
Modern Landfills
Whereas original landfills may have been fairly simple in design modern landfills are usually arranged and constructed in a much more organized manner to minimise damage caused to the environment. Different storage methods are used to separate out different levels of waste in order to maximise space available.
Some waste and refuse can be converted into either liquid or gas form to help conserve space. Specific sections of landfill sites are created to accommodate this kind of storage. Layers of compacted clay are used to keep the ground secure and liners are used to reinforce the surrounding ground to minimise the level of waste escaping.
Alternative Solutions to Landfills
In order to tackle the problem of landfill sites we need to find alternative methods to dispose of waste. These methods may include better ways to recycle and reuse waste such as compost heaps and adding more bottle banks to community areas.
One way to help conserve the earth is by spreading awareness of the damage we are causing to it. By drawing more attention to conservational issues and making easier ways to recycle and reuse packaging and other redundant products we can minimize the need for landfills to be used for non bio degradable products and help to reduce harmful gases escaping into the atmosphere.