Waste Disposal

1. Advantages and disadvantages of landfill sites. Using Orgreave as a landfill site is a cheap waste disposal option for the local council. The site will look ugly whilst it is being used for landfill. Jobs will be created for local people. Dangerous gases are given off from landfill sites that cause local air pollution and contribute to global warming. Lots of different types of waste can be disposed of by landfill in comparison to other waste disposal methods. Local streams could become polluted with toxins seeping through the ground from the landfill site. The site could be re-landscaped and built on once it has been filled. This has happened nearby in Handsworth. Once the site has been filled it might not be able to be used for redevelopment as it might be too polluted. The gases given off by the landfill site could be collected and used for heating. The jobs created in the local area are likely to be low paid jobs. Waste transport costs will be reduced, as our waste will only have to travel a short distance to landfill. This will also reduce the amount of pollution caused by transporting the rubbish. The trucks delivering the waste to the site are very big and noisy. They will spoil the peace and quiet in the area and could also contribute to traffic congestion (traffic jams) in the local area. Local rubbish will be dealt with locally instead of shifting the problem to another area or country e.g. China. The gases given off from the site as the waste begins to decompose (break down) will cause the air in the local area to be smelly. 2. Problems of waste disposal * Waste is being dumped in the wrong culverts: the black and green culverts both have a mixture of food, metal, glass and plastic. * Animals (e.g. marabou storks and mongooses) get into the culverts and extract food and food contaminated burnable waste. * There is no separate place for disposal of non-burnable waste (metal and glass) – this is currently mixed with food and burnable waste. * Some culverts are full and waste is spilling out. These problems result in a highly unsightly, unhealthy environment for visitors, residents, and wildlife 3. How is waste disposal being improved for the future? * Sustainable installation and upgrading of waste management facilities * Extending sewage networks * Set up agency to monitor waste * Classification: now classified into inert, non inert non hazardous and hazardous * The need for a landfill liner and geological barrier on the base and sides of all non inert non hazardous and hazardous landfill sites * The requirement that all waste is pre-treated before being land filled * The requirement to have Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) for all land filled waste * The banning of liquid, explosive, corrosive, oxidising flammable and clinical wastes * A requirement for a 60-year aftercare provision