Environmental Consequences of Poor Landfill Management

Abstract

Landfill is a popular method of waste disposal in many countries due to its relatively low of costs of operation. The offensive aspect of the method is improper removal or disposal of the waste, which has resulted in avoidable sicknesses, diseases and preventable deaths. Carbon dioxide and methane are the two main gases emitted from landfill sites; municipal solid waste issue accounts for almost 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions and methane from landfills accounts for 12% of the total quantity of global methane emissions. Landfills can be put to sustainable use by employing it to produce energy from waste whenever is feasible and it has the capacity to generate revenue. Furthermore, many advanced waste treatment technologies have been developed which received commendable attention in developed countries and are evolving in developing countries. Landfill gas-to-energy is viable economically and for control of methane emissions and effective management of time, costs and quality with minimum risks to humans and the environment.