3000 BC - 1st recorded landfill sites in Cretan Capitol, Knossos.
1297 AD - British Law made households keep the front of their property clear from rubbish. Most rubbish comprises of animal bones, vegetable remains wood ash and body wastes. This was scattered on fields and improved the soil condition. The laws were largely ignored and the streets remained filthy as they filled with sewage and rubbish, as a result the Black Death struck.
1354 - Rakers employed in London to rake away rubbish off streets and cart it away. Then in 1407, Londoners asked to keep rubbish indoors until the Rakers called for it weekly. People caught dumping could be fined and informers were paid to keep an eye on people. 1700s and 1800s- The industrial revolution led to the use of raw materials, increased trade and population. This increased the volumes and types of wastes created.
1874 – Incinerators called Destructors were used to burn wastes. This created steam to generate energy (energy recovery) but the emissions of gasses, dust and burnt paper that fell in neighbouring communities made them unpopular and their use decreased.
1875 - The Public Health Act 1875, charges local authorities with the duty to arrange a weekly removal and disposal of waste. It also insisted that households keep their rubbish in a 'movable receptacle' the first Dustbin.
Late 1800's household waste is collected daily in ‘ash bins’, more than 80% of the weight of waste in the dustbin was dust and cinders. The waste is hand sorted into salvageable materials by women & girls. Glass and metals were sent back to the merchants for reuse and incinerated residue is used in building materials.
1907 -An amendment to the public health act extends the local authorities duties to include the collection of trade waste and allows authorities to levy charges on collection.
1930's –Plastics, which had previously been made from plants, is manufactured from chemicals produced from petroleum. In the 1950’s boom period plastic production takes off. Plastic packaging aided the reduction in food wastage but the environmental consequences of non-biodegradable plastic and toxic inks are overlooked.
1936- New Public Health act gives authorities power to prosecute dumping, prohibited building upon contaminated land that had been used as landfill and regulation in landfill management. This law was overlooked as World War II takes priority. The war prompts a rise in reclamation and recycling, as day-to-day necessities were in short supply. Post war however sees large uncontrolled dumping around towns.
1956 – A Clean Air Act passed, leading to a rapid decrease in open coal fires in homes, consequently the volume of dust and cinder ash decreased dramatically and the wastes that would have been thrown on these fires, went up, like food and paper.
1977- First bottle banks for recycling appear in Britain.
1996 - Landfill tax introduced to encourage alternative, this is repeatedly increased to put pressure on authorities to explore sustainable waste disposal practises.
2003 - Each household in the UK throws out 1 tonne of rubbish a year, this is enough to fill Trafalgar square to the top of Nelsons column and includes enough paper to cut down a forest the size of Wales. The recycling rates are well below other developed countries and most landfills have a life span of only 10-15 years!
We are a throw away society, out of site out of mind is the easiest way to deal with our waste problems. Many of us feel that it is the responsibility of the government or the council to solve our problems and recycle for us, but we are all responsible for this problem. We are all guilty; every one of us throws away our rubbish, some of it unnecessarily.
Why are we kicking up a fuss?
Out of sight, out of mind. That is exactly what is happening to our waste. It leaves our properties once a week never to be seen or thought about again. From your home it is taken to a landfill site where it is dumped with all the rest of Doncaster’s rubbish. A top layer of soil is placed over the top along with a deodoriser to hide the unpleasant smell and to detour the rats, seagulls and flies.
As the rubbish rots away a flammable gas called methane is released, this is a greenhouse gas and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Leachate is a highly toxic liquid that is a product of the rotting materials, it seeps through the soil along with soluble chemicals and decaying products, if not properly contained, this water could reach our streams and underground water reserves.
Time-line of products decaying in landfill.....
Fruit and vegetables takes 1 to 2 years.
Thin plastic bags take upto 10 to 20 years.
Paper takes upto 50 years to decompose
Up to 100 years for aluminium cans & foil
But plastic bottles can take upto four hundred and fifty years !
Incineration is another way of disposing of our waste. It can be seen as a solution to our landfill problems as it reduces the volume of waste by up to 90%. The ash however, still needs to be landfilled. The heat created by burning the waste can be used to heat buildings or generate energy for the national grid.
However incinerators are expensive, in order to reduce the harmful effects of burning wastes, an incinerator must burn at above 1000 Centigrade.
Even still, toxic fumes, poisonous ash and greenhouse gases can be created by incineration. For example, dioxins are produced when burning plastics such as PVC. Dioxins are linked with infertility and cancer.
These 2 methods of disposal are not sustainable.
We are simply wasting our resources, the products we buy, and then dispose of are originally made from natural resources. Some of these resources are renewable, such as paper because we can replant trees. Others such as oil for plastic and bauxite for aluminium, are non-renewable and are in short supply. It is feared that in 50 years we will have run out of oil altogether. In manufacturing these materials into the products we buy and use, huge amounts of energy are needed, this again is a drain on the non-renewable sources that we obtain most of our energy from.
There are some simple steps we can all take to ensure the future of Doncaster and the Worlds resources:
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