LANDFILLS: PROS AND CONS

Pros and Cons of Landfills and Their Management

Pros and Cons of Landfills and Their Management

Introduction

Landfill is a territory equipped for the disposal of industrial and household waste. Landfills are a sign of non-compliance with environmental standards of life in cities and other populated areas, as at present, industry and residential areas produce a large amount of waste that cannot be completely processed for reasons of technological and economic considerations (Tammemagi 1999). While landfills provide an economic means of solid waste management, inappropriate or poorly engineered landfills are a threat to the environment. This paper provides the pros and cons of landfills under various economic and environmental considerations. The paper also examines whether the pros of landfills outweigh their cons.

Pros of Landfills

Promote prevention, recycling and processing of waste.

From these raw materials energy could be extracted by reuse of waste;

Landfills ensure that waste disposal is carried out without endangering the health rights and without harming the environment;

Landfills are monitored by waste management authorities who develop plans defining the types and quantities of waste

Landfills also help eliminate the general technical requirements, besides serving as suitable sites for disposal

Most importantly, landfills establish the polluter pays principle

Cons of Landfills

The disadvantages are many for the health of people and the environment. Proliferation of pests, rodents, bugs and all sorts of infections are common near landfills.

Floors surrounding landfill is fatal. Due to its rotting, it loses its fertility, since landfills usually are initiated into fertile land that could provide another utility. 

Another disadvantage is that it pollutes the air and gases emanate from these wastes. Landfills are open and exposed to various climatic changes, rains are over, and giving the sun hours without any treatment causing decomposition. 

Another disadvantage is that you lose money at the state level because it foregoes employment. Waste management is left to recycle, because everything is thrown into landfill without classification. The state then has to allocate a large amount of money for sanitation (Sharma & Lewis 1994). 

Landfills also prompt people handling the garbage, looking for food, clothing and anything else that might be useful, these people are getting sick and spreading disease throughout the community where they reside. There are also occurrences of burning vegetation and implosions. Landfills are spreaders of disease and environmental contaminants. In short, landfills are an easy means to dispose waste without thinking about future harms.

Methane from organic waste landfills can be used for fuel, heat ...