The problem of waste today is one of the most important not only in Russia, but throughout the world. In developed countries, separate collection of garbage is carried out, which facilitates the process of its further processing or disposal. However, most of the waste to this day is disposed of in landfills, many of which do not meet sanitary standards. There are even those that are created spontaneously, without observing the rules and regulations. They have the most dangerous environmental impact.
Why is reclamation necessary?
The optimal solution to the waste problem is the construction of waste recycling plants. There are such enterprises in Russia, but there are very few of them. Currently, new plants are being built in different parts of the country. But what to do with old landfills that have been dumped for several decades? Many of them have already almost come close to residential buildings, because cities are growing and expanding. The solution to the problem is the reclamation of landfills, which minimizes their negative impact on nearby territories.
Landfills in Russia
Many landfills in Russia were formed “spontaneously” in abandoned quarries and pits, and environmental protection measures were not carried out there at all. According to the documentation, in total there are about 11 thousand landfills in the country, but these are only those that are officially considered as such. Many large landfills are located near large cities. One striking example is the Salaryevo waste disposal site in Moscow, near which a large housing complex is under construction. The developer claims that there will be good ecology in the area of the residential complex due to landfill reclamation. This process includes a number of measures for the ecological and economic restoration of contaminated sites. After this, the landfill will not have a negative impact on nearby territories.
Landfill remediation methods
Biological reclamation involves a set of measures to strengthen the body of the landfill and plant various plants on it. However, this method is not effective without the technical stage of landfill reclamation, the main task of which is to prevent the formation of leachate, which appears when moisture gets on the landfill body. A screen is created above the waste, protecting it from atmospheric precipitation and avoiding the appearance of an unpleasant odor. The landfill becomes completely isolated from the environment. Along the perimeter of the landfill, it is necessary to lay a drainage system into which the remaining filtrate will fall.
Reclamation Methods
If the landfill is small, then there are two ways to reclam it:
- contents are recovered and transported to another disposal site;
- contents are removed in place.
If it is necessary to recultivate a large landfill, then there is only one option - fixing pollutants in place. The slopes of the landfill are reliably strengthened by reinforced concrete structures, protective screens are created to protect the body of the landfill from moisture, and a degassing system is organized. After the technical stage, the biological one follows, as a result of which plants, shrubs and trees are planted on the site of the former dump. One of the popular options for the subsequent use of the territory is the creation of a forest park. In addition, sports facilities are created at such sites, for example, ski slopes or parks for extreme sports.
Reclamation of solid waste landfills minimizes the damage to the environment and the health of people living near the landfill.
Reclamation Stages
In general, the following stages can be distinguished:
- design;
- Creation of estimates for the reclamation of a landfill for solid waste (municipal solid waste) ;
- flattening and strengthening the slopes of the body of the landfill;
- creation of groundwater protection from leachate;
- erection of a protective screen;
- creation of a drainage system for the accumulation of leachate;
- organization of a degassing system;
- creation of reclamation coverage of the landfill body;
- soil preparation;
- sowing seeds, landscaping.
Degassing
Each landfill closes sooner or later. Most often this happens when there is no more space for waste. It is natural that these lands should not be left in such a state, therefore they are subject to reclamation. Due to the fermentation of organic waste, landfill gas is formed in the landfill body. In addition, there is a large amount of steam. Gas and steam together form a mixture that has a harmful effect on the environment and can also cause an unpleasant odor. The release of landfill gas leads to fires and explosions inside the body of the landfill. To avoid all this, erect gas exhaust systems. Through them, the gas enters the storage chamber, where it is cleaned of harmful impurities, after which it is burned or used as fuel. Thus, the degassing of the body of the landfill.
Garbage Processing Plants
There are about 240 garbage processing plants in Russia, but this amount is clearly not enough for such a huge country. Such plants are complexes of technical devices that allow unloading existing landfills and benefit from this by recycling garbage into new products. The problem of the need for waste processing enterprises in our country is very acute, since the number of landfills is growing every day.
How the garbage recycling plant works
A modern garbage processing plant carries out:
- sorting of garbage;
- processing of each type of secondary raw materials, production of resources for the manufacture of new products;
- destruction of waste that is unsuitable for processing.
A variety of products are produced from recycled waste: toilet paper, building materials, household and household items (buckets, basins, containers) and much more.
For a country with a large amount of waste, waste recycling plants are the only optimal solution to the problem.
Conclusion
Reclamation of abandoned landfills is a completely normal trend, which allows improving the environmental situation and obtaining raw materials for heating people living nearby. Throughout the world, this process is treated loyally, but for Russia this phenomenon is quite new. Many people believe that living near landfills, even those that have been reclaimed, is very dangerous. Residents of areas located near landfills complain of terrible smells, headaches, and malaise. Perhaps this is just prejudice, because modern methods of reclamation can minimize the impact of landfills on the environment and public health.
The problem of garbage is currently very relevant for our country, so it is important to work with residents, to explain why batteries and mercury thermometers should not be thrown away with other waste. But the main hope lies in the waste processing plants in Russia, which should appear in the coming years. Japanese technologies will be used in the work, which will make them very effective. It is hoped that this will help solve the problem of environmental pollution.