Estimating the post-closure management time for landfills containing treated MSW residues.

摘要

The Landfill Directive will require the pre-treatment of MSW prior to landfilling.The removal of progressively increasing proportions of the biodegradable fractions fromlandfilled waste, and the UK Government’s commitment to increase recycling of key wastefractions, will lead to an inevitable change, from the disposal of raw MSW, to the disposal ofMSW treatment residues, to landfill. This will undoubtedly change the type and rate ofemissions from landfills. The question that this research project has sought to answer is “howlong will active management be required for different MSW treatment residues?” The termequilibrium status has been used to define the end point beyond which management of wastes isno longer necessary. Calculating the equilibrium status of waste involves an assessment of thelandfill gas emissions, leachate quality and hydraulic status of the landfill. These key parameterschange with time as the landfill evolves. Equally, the engineering performance of a site is alsochanging with the gradual degradation of the liner and capping systems. The question posedabove is therefore not easily answered.