Closing an Open Dumpsite and Shifting - International ...

Note: the use of a tanker truck may not be practical as a method of leachate removal in areas
of high rainfall and piping to a treatment facility is more appropriate.
C.1 Types of Sanitary Landfills
Figure 5. Sanitary Landfill
There are two basic types of sanitary landfills classified according to the method of landfilling
operations employed. These are the: (a) Area Method, and; (b) Trench Method; other
approaches are only modifications or a combination of these two types.
Additionally, a landfill may be operated as a semi-aerobic landfill where air is introduced to
the waste to accelerate decomposition. An anaerobic landfill does not incorporate in the
waste, and anaerobic and facultative organisms dominate. The aerobic landfill has the
advantage of reducing the organic loading in the leachate thererby reducing the facility
requirements for leachate treatment. The anaerobic landfill is the more common method of
managing the digestion of the wastes.
Common to both the area and trench methods is the spreading and compaction of the waste in
a confined area known as the cell. At the end of each day, a layer of soil is spread over the
waste and then compacted. The compacted waste and soil cover constitute a cell. A series of
adjoining cells, all of the same height, make up a lift. A completed sanitary landfill is made
up of one or more lifts.
The physical conditions of the particular site, and the amount and type of municipal solid
waste to be handled are the main factors that determine the method (Area or Trench) to be
selected. However, because the liners and leachate collection systems must be in place prior
to any waste disposal, the area method is now more commonly used.
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