Landfill Alternatives for Waste disposal

‘There is no such thing as “away.” When we throw anything, it must go somewhere.’- Annie Leonard.
 
‘Waste disposal’ is one of the biggest problems faced by the world at the moment! Waste is manageable, but the ever-increasing human population has completely messed up the management system. The small dumping grounds are only getting bigger to accommodate more dumps, thus adding to the environmental woes. Landfills, dumping grounds pollute the air, contaminate land, water, and what not!

​Over the years, with the latest technology, advancements, endless new landfill alternatives for contaminated soil have been introduced. Here we have discussed a few:​

• Composting

It is one well-recognized alternative to disposing of the waste. In the environment-friendly procedure, biological waste is allowed to decompose to form fertilizers. The fertilizers will help benefit plants and give back to the environment. The composting process is undertaken in the presence of microorganisms and oxygen.
The biological waste, rotten food, breaks down naturally, and goes back to the environment. Recently the process has caught up pace as the industrial landfills are swelling at a high rate.

• Recycling

 The world environmentalists have been preaching to recycle things that we usually think are meaningless to us. The best part is that you can recycle things from the comfort of your own house. From textiles, paper, wood, aluminum, glass, plastic, everything can be recycled. There are many initiatives run globally by the government and private sectors that can help people and guide people on the process of recycling, so it is done responsibly.
The landfills in the world are filling at a rapid rate. The only way to accommodate ever-increasing garbage is to increase the size of the dumps, which would only end up hurting the ground, and they end up hurting the environment more. So, why not opt for the processes that could prove beneficial for the environment.
  

• Anaerobic Digestion

It is the process by which microorganisms and bacteria break down organic waste. The process does not require open-air or oxygen. During the process of anaerobic digestion, methane gas is produced among other products, making it a renewable energy process. Methane gas can be used to power engines, or with further methods, it can also be used to create natural gas.
So, in this recycling process, you get rid of the toxic land filling process and instead work on creating something entirely new.

• Waste to Energy Incineration

 In this process, the incineration plants generate energy from waste, which is further used to power the people living in the nearby area. The waste is used to create heat and electricity. Unlike landfilling, in the process of energy incineration, the groundwater does not get contaminated.

• Plasma Arc Gasification (PAG)

The waste treatment technology uses the combination of high-temperature and electricity to turn municipal waste into usable by-products without burning them. During the process, the organic waste is converted into useful gases (still consisting of all the harmful chemicals, and needs further treatment).
With the process, the volume of the waste is reduced massively. Now, in the process, 3 by-products are produced, namely- Syngas, slag, and residual heat. Here is how these are beneficial:

• Syngas: The wastage is processed and treated further to get rid of the harmful gases. After the processing, it can be used similar to natural gas to power plasma arc gasification plants and also the natural gas can be sold to other plants for electricity generation.
• Slag: Cleaned from contaminants and then processed into synthetic gravel and bricks.
• Residual Heat: It is used to produce steam for the generation of electricity.

 
If sooner the smarter, eco-friendly waste disposal activities are not adapted, then it will only add to the list of endless ways in which we are disturbing the environment. Many countries, like the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, have already resorted to eco-friendly methods for managing garbage disposal. It is time for the rest of the world to take action!
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