Increases in risk of adverse health effects (low birth weight, birth defects, certain types of cancers) have been reported near individual landfill sites and in some multisite studies, and although biases and confounding factors cannot be excluded as explanations for these findings, they may indicate real risks …

18 Incredible Pros and Cons of Landfills

• Landfills are an Excellent Source of Energy.
• Landfills are No Longer Hazardous to the Atmosphere.
• Landfills are Increasingly Available.
• Landfills prevent water pollution.
• Landfills are super affordable.
• Landfills have created employment.
• It is an excellent manner of recycling wastes.
• They are Loaded with Wastes.

Landfills: Landfills are bad for our health and environment. That means that runoff from landfills, carrying with it toxic chemicals from our waste ends up in our water supplies. Many communities surrounding landfills have had their drinking water contaminated by leaking landfills.

Summary: Health is at risk for those who live within five kilometers of a landfill site. According to research published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology, health is at risk for those who live within five kilometres of a landfill site.

The Life Expectancy of a Landfill As mentioned earlier, Class 3 landfill operators strive for the maximum compaction rate possible in order to save space. Given these considerations, the average life expectancy could be anywhere from 30 to 50 years. Class 3 landfills must be monitored for 30 years after closure.

“Seven states are looking at running out of landfill space in the next five years, one state will reach capacity in five to 10 years and three states have 11 to 20 years to go. But 22 states have available landfill space for decades to come.”

Common Landfill Bans Motor oil. Tires. Liquid waste (e.g., non-dried paint, household cleaners) Untreated medical waste.

Local governments can extend their landfills’ lives by diverting recyclables. This will require implementing a recycling operation and diverting these materials to an appropriate vendor.

Solid waste landfills are of two basic types. A Type II landfill, or municipal landfill can accept virtually any non-hazardous solid waste for disposal. A Type III landfill can be a construction and demolition landfill or a special use landfill for a particular waste.

In California, paint is prohibited from disposal in landfills and must be recycled or otherwise safely disposed. Historically, paint has represented almost one-third of the material collected through local HHW programs and costs local government millions of dollars to manage.

The best bet with aerosols is to completely use up the contents of the can, including the propellant. If this cannot be safely done, the product should be disposed at your local household hazardous waste (HHW) collection site or at a locally sponsored HHW event.

California residents and businesses can now recycle leftover paint for free at local retail stores. For locations and program details, visit www.PaintCare.org or call 855-724-6809.

If there is 1 inch or less of paint in the can, it will dry it out within a few days. Add absorbent materials, such as sawdust or cat litter, to the paint if there is more than just a little left. Stir it periodically to hasten drying.

DO NOT pour paint down drain. While small amounts of latex paint can safely be washed down drain to a septic system or wastewater treatment plant, this practice should be kept to a minimum. Limit this to brush cleaning and other clean-up. DO NOT throw liquid paint in regular trash.

When setting out paint to dry-up, try filling partially empty cans with waste paint hardener, shredded newspaper or cat litter to aid in clumping up the leftover paint so that it dries up faster. Consider recycling metal and plastic paint cans to reduce landfill waste.

Surprisingly, just mix cat litter into the paint can to absorb the liquid. Then, leave the can out in the sun to completely dry out. (Normally, it can take up to a day or two for paint that is left out to fully dry, but this process using cat litter will definitely speed up the process).

about 10 minutes

But can I dispose of paint at Home Depot? Unfortunately, many paint products are classified as hazardous material and therefore Home Depot does not offer paint recycling services.

Sherwin Williams is now accepting unused and unwanted latex and oil-based paints, stains and varnish at no charge. If you can’t properly dispose of the paint curbside, let the professionals handle it. Companies like Habitat for Humanity and PaintCare accept leftover paint in order to recycle it.

Dispose of Excess Paint For smaller amounts, pour the paint onto card or paper and leave it to dry before including it with your household waste. Once the paint is hard, you can take it to your local household waste and recycling centre to be disposed of appropriately.