We have a trash problem in the United States, producing 267.8 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2017, with the average American producing 4.51 pounds per day [1]. This municipal solid waste, which refers to the various items consumers throw away after use, ends up in Subtitle D landfills across the country. Landfills have finite space and are nearing capacity [2]. In order to prevent further contamination of the environment and to meet future sanitary needs, we need to all do our part to curtail the current rate of disposal. 

One of the natural byproducts of the decomposition of organic materials in landfills is methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 to 36 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2 [3]. According to the EPA, municipal solid waste landfills “are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States” [3]. Landfill gas also consists of carbon dioxide and 30 other hazardous air pollutants, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and vinyl chloride [4]. A decrease in the disposal rate would help to decrease the release of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants into the atmosphere. Landfills also produce leachate, which forms when rainwater filters through waste and causes chemicals to leach out of the materials [5]. Leachate contains many different organic and inorganic pollutants that are highly toxic to plant and animal life, can cause eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems, and can contaminate groundwater, posing a threat to human health [6]. Finally, disease-carrying vectors such as rodents and roaches are omnipresent around landfills [7]. 

So what can we do about it? Much of the municipal solid waste that ends up in landfills does not need to be there. Recycling and composting are ways in which waste can be reduced before it ends up in landfills. Organic materials, including yard trimmings and food scraps, account for more than 28% of generated MSW [8]. Diverting these materials to your very own backyard composting operation enriches soil, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, and lowers your carbon footprint. Paper and paperboard accounts for 25%, plastic for 13.2%, metals for 9.4%, and glass for 4.2% of generated MSW [1]. Recycling these materials instead can save money, energy, and natural resources. 

Learning how to properly compost and recycle are important steps towards conserving limited space in landfills. The EPA has fantastic resources for getting started with both composting and recycling. Let’s leave some room in the landfills!

Written By Kate Foral

References:

[1] EPA. (2017). National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials

[2] HSA Golden. (2016). Landfills Reaching Capacity...Are We Running out of Space? https://hsagolden.com/landfills-reaching-capacity-are-we-running-out-of-space/

[3] EPA. (n.d.). Basic Information About Landfill Gas. https://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-information-about-landfill-gas

[4] EPA. (2014). Municipal Solid Waste Landfill: Economic Impact Analysis for the Proposed New Subpart to the New Source Performance Standards. https://www3.epa.gov/ttnecas1/regdata/EIAs/LandfillsNSPSProposalEIA.pdf

[5] EPA. (n.d.). Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. https://www.epa.gov/landfills/municipal-solid-waste-landfills#:~:text=A%20municipal%20solid%20waste%20landfill%20(MSWLF)%20is%20a%20discrete%20area,and%20industrial%20nonhazardous%20solid%20waste

[6] Stefanakis et al. (2014). Treatment of Special Wastewaters in VFCWs. Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/landfill-leachateEPA. 

[7] NEJAC. (2000). A Regulatory Strategy for Siting and Operating Waste Transfer Stations. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-03/documents/waste-trans-reg-strtgy_1.pdf

[8] EPA. (n.d.). Composting at Home. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home