How do modern landfills protect the environment?
The purpose of solid waste management is to remove wastes from living areas in a way that protects human health and the environment. Landfills fulfill this mission by sealing wastes away from the surrounding environment with liners and keeping them covered by more than six inches of dirt. By sealing in wastes, landfills also control biodegradation, limiting the risk of explosive methane emissions. Uncontrolled biodegradation could also result in a toxic sludge that, if leaked, would endanger groundwater supplies. Modern landfills almost “mummify” waste. Recent landfill excavations have turned up 35-year-old newspapers that were still perfectly legible and 15-year-old corn that was still recognizable. Q: Can degradable plastics solve the solid waste problem? A: Because landfills are designed to limit degradation, degradable materials of any type are not likely to affect the amount of landfill space available. Likewise, degradability provides no benefit in the areas of recycling and wast
