Landfill

site for the disposal of waste materials by burial

A landfill is a place where waste is kept. Waste is usually buried in landfills, but it may first be sorted to remove any recyclable materials.

A landfill in Poland
Uncontrolled garbage dump.

Landfills have a bad smell and look bad, therefore are usually located far away from where people live.

Once the waste is crushed into very small pieces, it is buried, but without oxygen, a dangerous gas called methane is created. This process is called anaerobic digestion. In some countries, the methane from landfills is used to generate energy.

Large landfills in the United States

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Roosevelt Regional Landfill, Roosevelt, Washington.[1]
Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site, Aurora, Colorado.[2]
Columbia Ridge Landfill, Arlington, Oregon.[3]
Pine Tree Acres, Lenox, Michigan.[4]

Other large landfills

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References

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  1. "Republic Services Roosevelt Regional Landfill". Republic Services. Retrieved 9 February 2014.[permanent dead link]
  2. "Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (DADS) Landfill". Waste Management. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. "Columbia Ridge Recycling and Landfill". Waste Management. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  4. "Pine Tree Acres Landfill". Waste Management. Retrieved 8 February 2014.