When you throw your rubbish, do you ever wonder where they go? From incineration facilities that burn your trash up to recycling that converts your waste into something useful, there are many ways that Australians can dispose of trash. Another method of doing this is through landfills. A landfill is a big site that holds garbage dumps. If you ever imagine a barren wasteland where piles upon piles of items and trash are present, then you pretty much have a landfill in your sight.
Landfills are the last option for waste disposal. Unless there’s no way that garbage can be recycled, re-used or repurpose, landfills aren’t the first-pick option for waste disposal. There are many landfill rules and regulations. Some landfills even cost a lot. More than a land that dispensable garbage, there are facts about landfills that you probably didn’t know about.
Landfills have high methane emissions
Landfills hold all kinds of trash. As such, gas emissions are high in landfill sites. One of the most abundant gases in landfills is methane which holds as much as 28 times more thermal energy than carbon dioxide. Landfills in Australia give off 97% of methane gas emissions from Solid Waste Management. This equates to 9.12 Mt of methane that comes from landfills alone. Although the volume is high, landfill emissions of methane have significantly declined for over two decades.
Landfills contribute to energy production
The amount of methane that comes from landfills is alarming. Don’t worry, innovations and industries use this methane as a source of energy. Methane is a good source of energy generation in many parts of the country. In 2018, industries made 42% of the landfill gas into usable energy. This energy is sold to the grid for commercial and residential use. As methane is more potent than carbon dioxide in storing heat and catapulting global warming, transforming it into energy is a progressive solution to the situation.
Illegal landfilling in Australia
There are many types of waste crime in Australia. Governments and corresponding governing units set this to make sure that waste is not illegally disposed of, which can result in threats in public health and safety. One of the crimes concerning landfills is illegal landfilling. This happens when landfills accept unauthorised waste. Illegal landfilling is rampant in NSW as approvals for landfills take as much as 10 years from local councils and deciding authorities.
NSW holds the most waste sent to landfills
New South Wales champions as the territory that sends so much waste to landfills. From 2018 to 2019, NSW sent 6,825 kt of waste to landfill sites. This is equivalent to almost 31% of the total garbage that landfills hold from all the territories combined. Out of the total landfill waste volume for NSW, 32% is hazardous waste. The hazardous waste mostly comes from Commercial and Industrial streams (C&I) and Construction and Demolition (C&D) streams.
Charity shops play a big role in diverting landfill-bound waste
Charity shops are important aspects of diverting waste that is bound for landfills. Charities play a big role in the reuse economy where beneficiaries receive items that are set for landfills. Charity shops receive more than a million items and pieces every year. This equals as much as 600,000 tonnes of unwanted waste diverted away from the landfills. donating unwanted goods is another good alternative instead of recycling.
Conclusion
Landfills are homes to many kinds of trash. These trash volumes take years and decades to break down completely. Recent developments in waste management involve avoidance of landfills. The effort to divert rubbish away from landfills is an initiative for each person. Less waste for landfills means fewer costs and waste accumulation for Australia. Before you decide to throw out your items in the landfill, consider other options first like calling your trusted rubbish removalist, Paul.
Related: How Long Does it Take for Rubbish to Decompose in Landfills?
Call Paul for your next rubbish removal date!
Rubbish removal is our game and we play it well. We are Paul’s Rubbish Removal and we are ready to take in your trash. What’s better is we don’t send them straight to the landfill. There’s so much we can still do to mitigate the waste in landfills. don’t worry, we will recycle your trash first. Work with us in aiming 100% landfill-free rubbish removals. Let’s help Australia with its current garbage situation. Don’t hesitate to contact us!
We offer Household Rubbish Removal, Commercial Rubbish Removal, Same-Day Rubbish Removal, and all sorts of rubbish removal services.
Call us on 0407 125 125 or you can also send us your enquiries via email here. Get your free quote or book a rubbish removal job with us now.
