http://www.thesmith.org.uk/places/follies/landfill/JUK17-CapitalismLandfillTipClose.

jpg

Out of sight, out of mind?

Linda Forbes – Unit B1 – March 2007

The Landfill Option

• Some statistics
• Construction
• Management
• Wastes
• The future
• Conclusions
Landfill in EU-15
 Landfill sites in England & Wales

Anglian
agency.gov.uk/commondata/103196/208017?referrer=/yourenv/eff/119008

Midlands

North East
4/resources_waste/213982/207743/
http://www.environment-

North West

South West

Southern

Thames

Wales

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Number of sites
 Municipal waste management in England & Wales

100%

90%
agency.gov.uk/commondata/103196/208020?referrer=/yourenv/eff/119008

80%

70%
4/resources_waste/213982/207743/

Other
http://www.environment-

60%
Recycled/composted
RDF manufacture
50%
Incineration without EfW
40% Incineration with EfW
Landfill
30%

20%

10%

0%
1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05
Scotland’s waste - 2004/5
Landfill Construction
 Landfill Construction Technique

Excavate to 1m above water table

Clay or synthetic liner laid

10-7 cms-1 permeability

Install leachate collection system

Geosynthetic liner to stabilise waste

Sand drainage layer (sloping)

Deposition begins
 Landfill
Management
 Landfill Capping

Gas and leachate collection piping

and networks completed

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/chemistry/research/jf/landfill2.jpg
Site capped with clay lining,
geotextile layer and sand

Planted with grass or similar

Groundwater and air pollution

monitoring systems installed
 Landfill Wastes
Methane emissions by source: 1990-2005
United Kingdom
5.5 million tonnes
Agriculture Landfill Gas leakage Other Coal Mines
5.0

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005

Source: AEA Energy & Environment

 Landfill Gas (Methane)
1973 - 75 Inert waste tipped at old brickworks

1977 Licence granted to tip wide variety of wastes,

including 50 tons per day of untreated domestic waste

1977 - 82 Increasing quantities of domestic waste tipped

1984 Lawns and trees began to die in the surrounding gardens

1986 Explosion destroyed bungalow adjacent to site in Loscoe

Flow rates measured were 45-70 cubic metres of methane per hour
 Landfill Leachate
Ingress of water via precipitation; reduced with effective capping
Attenuation of leachate into groundwater believed sufficient treatment;
remediation now required
Leachate recycled to hasten decomposition of waste in landfill
Reed bed treatment used to polish leachate prior to discharge

www.soton.ac.uk/~sunrise/image3.gif
So, in the future?
And in the year
2525…
 Conclusions
Need for landfill sites is likely to persist, despite Landfill Directive

Recycling/composting of biodegradable waste will reduce methane

emissions from future landfill sites

Long-term effect of leachate not known, in health or cost terms

Stability of closed landfill sites over coming centuries untested

Alternative disposal method of incineration unattractive to public

Landfill very definitely out of sight, and preferably out of mind