Sanitary VS Unsanitary: Landfills Keep Your Food Fresh

I promised to explain the difference between a sanitary and an unsanitary landfill.  Here it is, your second wish is granted!

The landfill is the oldest method of waste disposal.  The concept has evolved over time but the basic principals remain the same. 

There are two types of landfills, sanitary and unsanitary.  The former is the most modern evolution of the landfill and is the new standard in waste burial.

Before the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, landfills were little more than a hole in the ground that anything and everything was dumped in.  There are obvious problems with the unsanitary landfill.  One issue is the leaking of fluids and chemicals into the surrounding soil and water systems.  This process is known as leachate.  Leachate can be toxic and is very harmful to humans and wildlife.  Another issue is the production of methane gas.  Old style landfills were dangerous because methane is unstable and highly flammable.  Landfills were prone to fires and explosions.  The problem with landfills, old and new, is that things don't degrade.  To be fair, things do degrade, albeit slowly and only to a certain extent.  Landfills serve as more of a sarcophagus of sorts for our waste.  Archaeologist William Rathje once uncovered a bowl of guacamole that still had chunks of avocado in it and looked fresh despite being buried for 25 years.    

Modern, or sanitary, landfills are much more advanced than their early predecessor.  To be considered "sanitary," a landfill must meet four requirements set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency.  The first requirement is 'full or partial hydrogeological isolation.'  This means that you can't have leachate leaking all over the place.  You must have a plastic liner and/or you must to have your landfill in a place where leachate can't gain access to soil or water systems utilized by humans.  The second requirement is 'formal engineering preparations.'  This, in the simplest of terms, means that there is an intricate piping system in place to vent the methane gas that is produced and there is a monitoring system in place.  The third requirement is 'permanent control staff on site to oversee and maintain.'  This is exactly what it sounds like. Someone needs to monitor this heaping pile of gas and garbage to make sure the sh!t doesn't hit the fan.  Landfills need to be monitored for at least 30 years after they close due to the continued production of methane.  The fourth requirement is 'planned waste emplacement and covering.'  This is also self-explanatory.  They no longer dump sh!t all over the place.  There is a precise system of cells in place where trash is compacted and placed.  This is all documented and cataloged.  This is how they were able to find the old Atari games buried in the Alamogordo dump thirty years later.  The covering part is in regards to a layer of soil or other cover that must be placed on top of the cells each day.  This helps keep birds, rodents, and other riffraff at bay.

Well, there you have it.  It's everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about sanitary and unsanitary landfills.  You're welcome.

You want to read more about the guacamole, don't you?  You got it.  Click here.