You all have seen towering garbage piles on the outskirts of India's cities, and covered your nose to avoid the stench. It is a staunch symbol of the growing waste crisis, and the scale is enormous. Plastic products, fast fashion clothing, biomedical waste, and metal objects are the major contributors to growing landfills and are harming the environment and your health. Landfill waste is not a sustainable strategy, but the good news is that some revolutionary and eco-friendly products are being re-engineered by companies in India that will help solve this problem.
Some notable mentions of the biggest landfills in India are Ghazipur in Delhi (28 hectares and garbage height-236 feet), Deonar in Mumbai (approx 311 hectares and garbage height-114 feet), and Dhapa in Kolkata (24.71 hectares and garbage height 115 feet), to name a few. Landfills' impact is not limited only to methane emissions or ground/water contamination; they also lock up large areas of land that can be used for infrastructure, housing, or green spaces.
Let us understand how the new wave of circular and eco-friendly innovations is transforming heaps of waste present in landfills.
Table of Contents
1) What Are Landfills?
2) Environmental Impact of Landfills in India
3) How Big Is India’s Landfill Crisis?
4) Eco-Friendly Innovation: Waste-to-Road Process in India
5) Eco-Friendly Products That Reduce Landfill Waste
6) Comparison Table: Circular Solutions vs Traditional Waste
7) FAQs on Landfills
8) Conclusion
1) What Are Landfills?
A landfill is a site where the city's waste and biomedical waste are piled up. It is an engineered solution for waste disposal, but it has turned out to be a menace in the form of an unmanaged dumping ground. Landfills occupy a large area of land, holding a large amount of untreated waste that can go up to millions of tons. Toxic gases like methane and other greenhouse gases are released, which pollute the air. Apart from this, they also contaminate the soil and water bodies, thus proving to be very harmful to living beings and the planet.
2) Environmental Impact of Landfills in India
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The decomposing organic waste produces greenhouse gas like methane, which is 25 times more harmful than CO2.
- Soil and Water Pollution: The liquid draining from the landfills leaches into the groundwater and pollutes it.
- Lock Land: India has almost 2,400+ landfills that are known to occupy a massive 15,000 acres of land that can be repurposed.
- Spread Microplastics: Plastic waste buried in the piles for decades breaks down into microplastics that spread in the air and cause health risks.
- Health Risks: The toxic fumes from landfill fires are dangerous for the lives of communities living near landfills.
3) How Big Is India’s Landfill Crisis?
India's landfill crisis is massive as it is fuelled by its large population and urbanisation. In totality, about 62 million tons of municipal waste is generated annually. About 43 million tons are often improperly managed or uncollected, due to which it ends up in landfills and sewers. This, in turn, poses severe health and environmental risks. The existing landfill sites in India are often not scientific, and this poses harmful issues like toxic chemical leaches in underground water, greenhouse gas emissions, and improper waste processing.
But things are looking bright with many Indian recycling companies that are coming forward with circular innovations and creating products that are piled up in landfills. One notable mention is the "bio-mining process" that was taken by the Chennai Corporation to clear massive garbage piled up in the Perungudi dumpyard with an external partner. The process involves excavating, treating, and recycling legacy waste into new products like bottles and tiles, to name a few. Many city corporations are giving thought to clearing landfills using innovative methods to clear landfills and reclaim vast lands.
4) Eco-Friendly Innovation: Waste-to-Road Process in India
India is becoming adept at advanced recycling technologies and is literally turning legacy landfill waste into infrastructure. The non-recyclable plastics are now being turned into durable road-building materials, thus replacing a percentage of bitumen. The result is it reduces construction costs, increases road strength, and millions of legacy plastics are diverted from landfills.
Eco-friendly roads made with recycled plastic require less water, are more resistant to heat, can handle heavy traffic, and have a longer lifespan.
6) Comparison Table: Circular Solutions vs Traditional Waste
7) FAQs on Landfills
- How do landfills affect climate change?
Landfills accelerate global warming as they emit methane, which is 25 times more potent than CO2.
- How do eco-friendly products contribute to less landfill inflow?
Eco-friendly products are made from natural or recycled/upcycled materials, thus reducing landfill inflow and raw resource consumption.
- Are waste-to-road technologies safe and durable?
Yes, roads made using plastic waste have proven to last longer, reduce maintenance costs, and resist water damage.
- What can individuals do to reduce landfill waste?
Use eco-friendly products that are recyclable, reusable, and compostable, and segregate waste at home correctly.
Conclusion
Landfills are not just waste dumping sites, but are a breeding ground for diseases and pollution. Reduce, rethink, and reuse is the mantra to shrink India's towering garbage mountains. Our consumption habits should change, and more eco-friendly daily essential products should be used. With new sustainable innovations like plastic-waste roads, the movement towards diminishing landfills is gathering pace. Purchase wisely and discard wisely, because what we decide to throw away andwhat to reuse can change our planet's story.
