The science of managing waste has come a long way since the days of unlinned “garbage dumps”. Today we are not only working to provide safe and environmentally sound long term waste disposal facilities, but are also continuously improving our technology. The key elements of a typical municipal solid waste landfill are:
• The residue of windrow composting plants, waste to energy plants, street sweepings and drainage silt are only allowed to go into the landfill.
• The landfill area is covered by a geomembrane prior to that a prepared sub grade and a compacted clay layer is formed.
• The liner also includes a network of pipes to collect leachete and send it for proper treatment and disposal.
• At the end of the working day, a six inches of cover material is placed over the waste deposited that day. This helps to control litter, odour and also compacts the waste.
• Waste is deposited in small portion of a landfill called cells. When one or more cells reach their capacity, an engineered cap system is installed and natural vegetation is planted on top. The cap stabilizes and protects the structure, prevents errosion, keeps precipitation out of the landfill and provides a stable long term cover.
• An engineered capping system is installed when a landfill reaches its capacity. This provides a secure, long term cover and includes a drainage layer to prevent excess water from entering the landfill.
