Alternatives to land disposal

摘要

It is remarkable to see and read about the changes that are taking in place in the solid waste management field. Although these changes are evident in a number of locations and in several fields, the changes are particularly dramatic regarding the options and attitudes towards the disposal of solid wastes in landfills. The disposal of untreated (raw) wastes in the land is an issue that seems to polarize a large number of people working in the field. On the one hand, there are some countries and regions, particularly those that are highly urbanized and have limited space suitable for landfills that have developed national or regional policies and legislation aimed at only disposing in the land materials that are relatively inert. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are those that are encouraging the placement of organic matter in landfills so that the landfill gas can be captured, generate revenue, justify loans, and get carbon credits. In addition, there are viewpoints that emphasize additional material recovery and others that would like to see more and different types of combustion processes.