A brief powerpoint about landfills, the effects of a landfill and landfill levies.

1. ALL ABOUT
LANDFILL

2. WHAT IS A LANDFILL?
A landfill is a large area of land or an
excavated site that is a carefully designed
structure built into or on top of the ground.
The garbage collected at the landfill is
isolated from the surrounding environment
with a bottom liner and a daily covering of
soil. ¹

3. LANDFILL IMPACTS
A large number of impacts may occur from landfill
operations. These impacts can include:
 Injuries to wildlife
 Infrastructure damage
 Pollution of the local environment
 Harbouring of disease vectors (such as rats/flies)
 Methane is generated (by decaying organic wastes)
 Fatal accidents (such as scavengers buried under
waste piles)²

5. ABOUT METHANE GAS
One tonne of biodegradable
waste produces between 200 and
400 cubic metres of landfill gas
Methane is around 21 times
more potent than carbon dioxide
Allowing methane to escape
into the atmosphere would have
significant climate change
implications.³

6. LANDFILL LEACHATE
 During landfill site operation, a
liquid known as leachate is
produced.
 It is a mixture of organic
degradation products, liquid waste
and rain water.
 It has high organic carbon
content, high concentrations of
nitrogen and is usually slightly
acidic.
 This liquid is highly toxic and can
pollute the land, ground water and
water ways.³

8. LANDFILL TOXINS
Many materials that end up as waste contain toxic
substances.
Over time, these toxins leach into our soil and
groundwater, and become environmental hazards for
years. Electronic waste is a good example.
Waste such as televisions, computers and other electronic
appliances contain a long list of hazardous substances,
including mercury, arsenic, cadmium, PVC, solvents, acids
and lead.⁴

9. WHAT IS SOLD INERT MATERIAL?
Solid inert material may be defined as waste which will not degrade in
the short term, and which has a negligible risk to the environment.⁵
Examples include:
• clean fill
• wood
• bricks
• concrete
• rocks
• fencing material
• inert building waste
• demolition waste
• inert synthetic materials

11. LANDFILL LEVIES
Landfill levies are one of the most effective ways to increase
the resources we recover and promote Sustainable
Production and Consumption.
Landfill levies are a cost put on the weight of material
disposed to landfill. The cost of dumping waste in landfill
includes the gate fee and the landfill levy .
The government has recently proposed changes to increase
the landfill levy for dumping a tonne of waste at a
metropolitan waste facility will rise from current rates of $9
per tonnes to $30 tonne next financial year.
This will bring Victoria closer to the landfill levy in other states
such as New South Wales.⁶

12. EPA VICTORIA SAYS:
“Landfills are an important part of Victoria's waste
management infrastructure. The siting, management
and rehabilitation of landfills requires a high level of
design and features to be implemented to ensure that
the environment is protected and community
aspirations are met.”
“While landfills represent the least preferred waste
management option, they will continue to be required
in the future to manage those wastes that cannot
currently be recycled or reused.”⁷

13. RESOURCES:
¹Recycling council of British Columbia “Think Twice Before Throwing it Away”
http://rcbc.bc.ca/files/u3/add_ThinkTwiceBeforeThrowingitAway_000.pdf
²Wikipedia “Landfill”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill
³University of Leicester “Why Should We Recycle: Landfill Facts”
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/estates/environment/wasteandrecycling/whyrecycle/landfil
lfacts
⁴Environment Victoria “The Problem with Landfill”
http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/problem-landfill
⁵Infrastructure and Resource Information Service Tasmania “Waste Types”
http://www.iris.tas.gov.au/infrastructure/waste/supply/waste_types
⁶Environment Victoria “Recycling and Landfill”
http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/recycling-and-landfill
⁷EPA Victoria “Landfill”
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/waste/landfill.asp