WASTE DISPOSAL

WASTE DISPOSAL

• What is waste?
• Who monitors and controls the disposal
of waste?
• How is it disposed of?
• Disposal of waste to landfill
 WHAT IS WASTE?
• Waste is rubbish people at home and work
discard because they no longer need it.
• England and Wales produce 400 million
tonnes of waste every year.
• Careful management is needed so its
effect on the environment and human
health is minimal.
 TYPES OF WASTE
• Controlled Waste
– Household, industrial and commercial
waste
– May be classified further as:
• Inert
• Non-Hazardous
• Hazardous
• Non-controlled Waste
– Agricultural, mining and quarry waste
TYPES OF WASTE (Cont.)
Around 70% of controlled waste is sent to landfill.
WHO MONITORS & CONTROLS
THE DISPOSAL OF WASTE?
WHO MONITORS & CONTROLS
THE DISPOSAL OF WASTE?

&
Independent Consultants
 THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY’S ROLE
• The EA regulates waste management through a
system of licences (PPC Permits).
• The EA waste team is responsible for ensuring that
waste produced in England and Wales is correctly
disposed of, in a manner that minimises its impact on
people and the environment.
• The PPC regulations apply an integrated environmental
approach to the regulation of certain industrial activities.
This means that emissions to air, water (including
discharges to sewer) and land, plus a range of other
environmental effects, must be considered together.
 THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY’S ROLE (Cont.)
• They do this by:
– advising on waste management methods
including waste minimisation;
– issuing permits to waste operators providing
satisfactory controls are in place;
– site inspections and enforcement;
– registering and monitoring people who transport
waste;
– working closely with other organisations to tackle
specific issues such as fly-tipping (dumping
waste illegally).
 THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY’S ROLE (Cont.)

• The EA carries out site inspections periodically

to make sure that waste is recovered or
disposed of in ways that do not harm the
environment or cause damage to human health.

• If the Agency finds evidence that the

environment or public health is placed at risk,
they can take the action needed to prevent or
reduce the risk.
 HOW DO WE DISPOSE OF WASTE?

• Around 70% of
controlled waste in
the is sent to
landfill.

• The survey on the

map indicate the
deposition of active
landfill sites in in
millitonnes.
 HOW DO WE DISPOSE OF WASTE?

• New legislation has recently been

introduced in the UK.
• The EU Landfill Directive introduces some
new requirements that will fundamentally
change the way we manage waste in the UK
& Europe.
• It aims to classify landfill sites across the
whole of Europe and to regulate them in a
more coherent and consistent manner.
 HOW DO WE DISPOSE OF WASTE? (Cont.)

• Some new requirements

introduced by the Directive include:
– reducing the quantities of biodegradable
municipal solid waste (MSW) sent to landfill;
– banning the disposal of certain types of waste
(clinical, liquid, explosive, corrosive, oxidising,
flammable, highly flammable waste and tyres);
– treating most wastes before landfilling;
– more prescriptive engineering standards.
 HOW DO WE DISPOSE OF WASTE? (Cont.)

• Some other ways of disposing of or

minimising waste include:
– Recycling
– Composting
– Incineration
 DISPOSAL OF WASTE TO LANDFILL

• An understanding of Geology is fundamental

to the management of waste because:
– Wastes and contaminants occur in and travel
through the geologic environment so we need to
understand:
• the nature of this environment
• the transport processes
– most waste management schemes involve the
use of geologic reservoirs for containment or the
use of geologic process for dilution and
dispersal of the waste
WHAT IS A LANDFILL SITE?
 WHAT IS A LANDFILL SITE?

• A landfill site is a licensed facility where

waste is deposited for permanent disposal.
WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?
 WHAT DOES A LANDFILL SITE LOOK LIKE?

Modern landfills are

designed to confine the
waste to prevent it from
causing environmental or
health problems.

Daily cover is placed over

the compacted waste each
day to minimise infiltration
of rainwater.
 WHAT PROBLEMS DO LANDFILL SITES POSE?

• Groundwater Contamination
• Production of Landfill Gas
• Landfill fires
• Offensive odours
• Litter
• Pests (Vermin, seagulls, flies)
• Increased traffic for duration of infilling
• Long term settlement after completion
 GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

• Groundwater contamination can occur if

leachate leaks into the soils and rock
surrounding a landfill site, eventually
making its way to the water table and
contaminating the groundwater.
• Leachate is formed when water
percolates through solid waste.
• Leachate can be highly toxic.
 PRODUCTION OF LANDFILL GAS
• Landfill gas is produced during the
natural breakdown of biodegradable
waste.
• The composition of landfill gas changes
over time.
• The gas from a typical landfill site
consists mostly of methane and carbon
dioxide.
 LANDFILL FIRES
• As waste decomposes it generates heat
and underground fires may start.

• These are difficult to extinguish, may

last for long periods, and may spread
throughout the landfill.
 LANDFILL DESIGN

• Modern landfills are designed to

minimise these problems:
– Location
– Landfill Liner
– Compaction of waste
– Daily Cover
– Landfill Cap
– Leachate Management System
– Landfill Gas management System
LAND FILL DESIGN
 LANDFILL LOCATION

• In order to obtain a permit a landfill operator

must first carry out a detailed investigation and
prove to the satisfaction of the planning
authority and the EA that the site:
– is located in a geologically stable area
– is not located on a major aquifer;
– Is not located in a vulnerable area;
– is designed to reduce the risk of damage to
the environment and human health;
– will be monitored regularly for the duration of
operations and aftercare period.
Installation of monitoring/site investigation borehole
 LANDFILL LINERS

• Landfill Liners are constructed on the base and sides

of a landfill site to prevent leachate from leaking into
the surrounding soils.
• Landfill Liners may be constructed from:
– Compacted Clay
– Bentonite Enhanced Sand
– Geomembrane
– Geotextile Protector
– Dense Asphaltic Concrete (DAC)
– Combination of the above
LANDFILL LINERS

Construction
of compacted
clay liner
LANDFILL LINERS
 LANDFILL LINERS

Installation of Geomembrane Basal Liner

LANDFILL LINERS

Construction of Dense
Asphaltic Concrete Liner
This is a new method of
lining landfills.
.
LANDFILL LINERS
 CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ASSURANCE
• All construction carried out on landfill sites is
supervised and recorded by an independent
consultant.
• Following construction, certification reports
are produced by the consultant and issued to
the Environment Agency for approval.
 LANDFILL OPERATIONS
• Waste is placed in layers approximately 3 m
thick and compacted.
• At the end of each working day approximately
0.3 m of clay or sand material is placed on top
of the waste to:
– minimise the infiltration of rainwater
– isolate the waste from birds and vermin
– reduce odours
 LANDFILL OPERATIONS

• To prevent wastage and the formation of

layers of weakness within the waste mass
the daily cover is scraped off and re-used
each day.
• Leachate that collects at the base of the
waste mass is collected and re-circulated
into the waste. This:
– increases the rate of decomposition of the
waste and therefore, rate of settlement;
– decreases disposal costs.
 LANDFILL CAP
• Landfill caps placed above the waste
after completion of infilling prevent the
infiltration of rainwater, minimising the
production of leachate.
• Landfill Caps are usually constructed
from:
– Recompacted clay
– Geomembrane
LANDFILL CAP

Construction of
geomembrane
cap
LANDFILL CAP
 LEACHATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Leachate management systems are installed to:

– prevent the accumulation of leachate in the base
of the landfill
– collect, re-circulate and dispose of leachate during
operations and after closure
• They comprise of:
– leachate drainage blanket at base of landfill
– pipes along base and sidewalls of landfill
– wells to monitor and extract the leachate
 LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
• Landfill gas management systems are installed
to prevent the build up of gases within the landfill
and to prevent migration of landfill gas through
the underlying strata.
• There are 2 ways landfill gas can be managed:
– passive
– active
 LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Passive management systems comprise

of wells with perforated tops to allow the
gas to vent into the atmosphere
• Active management systems involve the
active extraction of the gas.
• The extracted gas can be used to
generate electricity.
LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LANDFILL GAS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Electricity
generating
system
 MONITORING

• Monitoring is carried out before, during, and

after the placement of waste.
• Numerous monitoring wells are constructed
around a landfill site (both upstream and
downstream) to check for contamination.
• Chemical testing is carried out regularly on:
– Groundwater
– Leachate
– Landfill Gas
 SUMMARY

• Landfill sites are not very pleasant!

BUT
• The negative effects can be minimised if:
– they are designed carefully with due
consideration of the geological and
hydrogeological conditions;
– construction works are supervised &
controlled by a qualified engineer;
– they are carefully managed throughout their
operational life and aftercare period.