Remediation – have we been missing a trick with landfill?

December 15, 2010

We’re told that continuing to put our waste into landfill is not an option. The EU Landfill Directive specifies that biodegradable waste must be diverted from landfill sites and the UK, having signed up to the directive, has to support alternative waste management options. However, one option being debated is the production of energy from waste (EfW).

The potential contribution of EfW towards our renewable energy targets is considerable and it’s feasible that we could see energy from landfill waste fuelling cars in the future. Japan has been using this technology for some time and has dramatically improved their waste disposal problems in highly populated areas.

When you hear this it’s natural to ask – why can’t we do the same? Well experts predict EfW might contribute up to 50% of our renewables target by 2020.

So is landfill all bad news? Less waste is better news but if we can convert landfill to energy then that’s more positive. In the meantime, while we wait for technology to make it feasible and cost-effective, landfill is here to stay and it’s important that sites are monitored and remediated – Van Walt has the equipment that can help!