Landfills

What is it?
Landfills are places for the final decomposition of solid waste generated by human
activity. Garbage is deposited in layers altered with earthen trenches. Its base must be
defined by a leachate drainage system above an impermeable layer of polyethylene to
prevent the leakage of liquid material into the soil, avoiding the contamination of
groundwater.
What are its benefits?

 The construction and operation of sanitary landfills requires labor;

therefore, it is capable of generating jobs and income for people, in
addition to other benefits.
 Public health is fully benefited from landfills, considering that it avoids
direct human contact with waste. It also prevents the infection of these
same humans with animals that can bring infectious diseases.
 With garbage and waste buried and protected, in addition to following all
safety and structure protocols, groundwater and soil are protected, as well
as the entire environment.

What are its disadvantages?

 The construction of a sanitary landfill requires an area with large

extensions of land.
 In landfills, waste is not necessarily treated. What happens, in reality, is a
burial of materials so there is a limit on the number of layers of garbage
that can be buried or deposited inside a landfill.
 The sanitary landfill can cause severe environmental impacts if it does not
comply with the proper safety and maintenance rules, such as the
contamination of groundwater or aquifers.
 Landfills release a lot of methane gas due to the decomposition of organic
waste, helping to worsen the greenhouse effect.