Question

How landfilling is different from incineration?

Answer 1

Landfills

A landfill is a solid waste disposal method in which discarded materials are buried between layers of earth in an attempt to reduce public health hazards caused by decaying refuse. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are more than 10,000 old municipal landfills and more than 1,754 active landfills in the United States as of 2007. Though modern landfills are required to be impermeable waste containers, most of the older landfills were simply holes dug in the ground where everything from cans of paint to old washing machines was buried. However, even the newest landfill containers have been found to leak over time. The use of landfills has contributed to both air and water pollution.

Landfill Problems

Many landfills, especially older landfills in rural areas, are prone to producing leachate. Leachate is an often toxic liquid that results from rain passing through a landfill and seeping into the ground water. As rainwater passes through the landfill, it picks up organic and inorganic materials that contain elements harmful to humans. For example, heavy metals, pesticides and solvents combine with the water that eventually makes its way into 40 percent of municipal drinking water and 90 percent of rural drinking water. Dangerous gases emitted from the decaying contents of landfills increase air pollution. Studies on how close you live to a landfill show a marked likelihood of developing certain illnesses, including diabetes.

Incinerators

Some solid waste, especially health-care waste, is destroyed using incinerators, which burn discarded materials into ash. According to the EPA, Pennsylvania, Maine and Minnesota are the top three states that use combustion to destroy solid waste, with Alaska, Oregon, Virginia, New York and Florida following closely behind. But even if there is little or no waste incinerated in your state, this does not mean that potentially toxic incinerated material is not present in your area. Incinerator ash is exported to other states to be used as landfill cover, contributing to the landfill leachate that seeps into the water supply.

Answer 2

Answer:

Energy from waste plants (EFWs – aka incinerators) take up a considerable amount of space, though generally significantly less than a landfill site would. ... EFW plants also generate 65% more carbon dioxide (CO2) than generator systems (ref) and more CO2 per unit of electricity than coal (Ref & Ref).