Do landfill sites cause unpleasant odours over a large area?
A. Waste with a biodegradable element will decay causing odour, however covering the waste on a regular basis and controlling the emissions of gas from the waste can significantly reduce the potential for odour emissions, and can rule out the possibility of odour affecting a wide area. The design of the site and the filling scheme will minimise the open operational area from which odours could emanate. During filling, waste is covered daily to reduce odours and each area, once final levels have been achieved, is capped and a gas extraction scheme is installed. This removes the gases caused by the decay of waste which can cause odours and burns them in a flare stack to eliminate odours. Once sufficient gas is available, the gas is used to generate electricity and is classified as renewable energy.
