DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

SANITARY LANDFILLS
AND OPEN DUMPS
YOU MUST KNOW
Prepared by: JQ Filipinas
While sanitary landfills follow a well-planned
and monitored waste management process,
open dumps are just piles of garbage
accumulated where not meant to be.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the
U.S. has set minimum standards for sanitary
landfills; for example, monitoring wells need to be
dug at a certain distance from the unit. This enables
them to keep a check on the degree of groundwater
pollution and direction of flow of any leaking
leachate (liquid that comes out of solid waste).
What is an Open Dump?
When piles of waste materials or garbage get accumulated or
are left at a certain site or location where they are not meant to
be, it can be referred to as an open dump.

Payatas
Dumpsite
of Manila,
Phil.
What is a Sanitary Landfill?
It can be referred to as a safer and organized system or way of waste
management. It is regulated by the Government and must strictly follow
certain laws and processing regulations for waste treatment. This system
was created in the year 1935, in Fresno, California. Here, the land site is
designed for managing waste wherein layers of compacted refuse are
buried or covered with layers of soil.

The system consists of a large pit in the ground, with a thick lining of plastic over which
you will find a compacted clay liner. The bottom of the pit also has a liner that helps in
preventing the liquid waste (that comes out from the solid waste mostly if rainwater is
soaked in the landfill) from leaking through, as it could contaminate the water supply. This
liquid waste that gets collected is called leachate. The refuse is then added to the landfill
in the form of organized layers (layers of refuse alternating with those of soil). This is done
for the elimination of any unpleasant odors and to expedite the rotting or decomposition
process. When the landfill is fully covered, it is further sealed by a layer of compacted clay.
Moreover, a gas (methane) is often produced as the waste deteriorates due to which a
system is required to collect and pump the same. If this is not managed effectively, the
methane gas can explode, thus adding to global warming. Furthermore, the methane gas
in most places is collected for use in generating electricity.
Sanitary Landfill Diagram
There are different types of landfills, mainly depending on the
nature of waste materials. That is, a landfill for each of the
garbage type like household waste, hazardous chemicals or
radioactive waste, construction waste, etc., is treated differently.

A landfill that is full and done, is covered by forests, greenery, etc.,

so that the land can be used. However, this is done only when the
land is considered safe for use
Differences
 Currently, there are 189 sanitary landfills servicing 399 local
government units in the Philippines. Antiporda said this number is
still small, 20 years after the implementation of Republic Act No.
9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/12/30/denr-build-300-more-sanitary-landfills-by-2022.html

There are three landfills that currently absorb Metro

Manila’s waste, they are: the 40-hectare landfill in Navotas,
the 19-hectare landfill in San Mateo, and the recently
expanded 70+-hectare landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal.