Our society is at an inflection point for incredible innovation. There are countless new areas and industries that can be improved upon for the betterment of consumers and the environment. One industry that can be drastically innovated is the American landfill.
My town, Granada Hills, California, is home to the largest landfill in Los Angeles. The landfill has been in operation since 1958 and receives 1/3 of Los Angeles County’s waste. The landfill is owned by Republic Services which owns and operates 300 closed and active landfills nationwide. The 8.3 tons of waste brought to the landfill are dumped, watered down, and compacted on-top of other waste. The waste receives little oxygen to decompose, since it is compacted, which causes it to produce methane gas which is 25x more harmful than CO2. Republic says they “set the standard for quality landfill management,” according to their website. However, residents surrounding the landfill say otherwise.
As the landfill increases waste minimums per day to accept, surrounding residents are complaining about the smell. William Huntley, a Granada Hills resident who lives a mile from the landfill, said the odor is beginning to be too much for every day life. Huntley said he can't open his windows on notorious hot valley days because his house will reek of trash. Attorney’s from the landfill said that tests done by independent agencies show there are no potential health risks for residents, according to ABC news. However, this conclusion could be seen as flimsy considering the source. Children go to school in the area while thousands of homes surround it, including mine. On windy days, some residents in neighboring Porter Ranch receive trash blown over from the landfill. To add to the toxicity of the area, the landfill is only a few miles away from the largest methane gas leak in history, one that can be seen from space.
Now lets look to Sweden, a revolutionary in profitable and environmentally beneficial landfill management, to learn what America can do. 50% of Sweden's waste— a relatively cheap fuel— is burnt to produce energy that powers the country. “Three tons of waste produces as much energy as one ton of fossil fuels,” said Weine Wiqvist, CEO of the The Swedish Waste Management and Recycling Association. Sweden’s waste is burnt in incineration plants, heats water which produces steam, and then the steam powers an energy turbine. These incineration plants produce 99% non-toxic smoke, which is filtered through dry screens and water. The waste that isn't burnt like metals, tiles, and porcelain are recycled and used to make gravel for road construction. This leaves only 1% of Sweden's waste making it to a landfill. Sweden is now so efficient in this process they import 700,000 tons of waste from surrounding countries, according to Sweden’s website.
America has millions of tons of waste creating a huge environmental hazard for the country. Private companies like Republic Services and Waste Management need to unlock the innovative power America has and follow Sweden’s suit. These companies are already showing interest in the field as they are researching and developing smaller scale operations. Let's innovate, make some money, and save our environment for our next generation who will most certainly need it.
