4.+Our+Arguments



There are advantages and disadvantages of having landfills, nonetheless, we believe that the drawbacks outweigh the good. Landfills are one way of disposing trash, however, there are other techniques that people can employ to dispose of trash. Advantages of landfills include its low cost and valuable space. Landfills are low cost means of waste disposal compared to other techniques. Also, the space used for landfills, once restored, provide a valuable space for recreation or wildlife.

On the contrary, the disadvantages provide more evidence as to why landfills may not be superior to other methods of waste disposal. Firstly, there is the potential for air, groundwater, and land pollution. The ill management of any waste components may lead to leakage of the toxic waste into groundwater. Leachate is a major source of groundwater pollution, and a major concern for the lives of animals and humans. Odour concerns can cause problems to existing and potential home owners in a given area. Methane is lighter than air, and it can exist within landfills. The production of methane gas in landfills are problematic, at high levels because they are highly flammable and can cause asphyxiation and at low levels, because they can be explosive. Researches were also done and have proven that adults who live close to landfills have a higher chance of developing liver cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, whereas children are more prone to have disabilities at birth (Oliver 2007). It is feasible to restore landfill sites into valuable space, however, it is difficult to use and redevelop them due to the fact that the trash under the land may cause harm to people and animals. On the whole, landfill sites are not pleasant to live near because they produce terrible odours, and they are not satisfying to the eyesight. We disagree with the use of landfills, and we feel that there are other methods of waste disposal. Though a little more expensive, they can be very beneficial in the long run, for the present and future generations. Total elimination of garbage is impractical, however, little steps in reducing the amount of garbage is manageable. A very evident alternative to landfills is recycling. Recycling is more beneficial due to its low cost, ability to extend the life of materials, and the fact that it consumes less energy, thus also reducing harmful environmental impacts. However, it does require a great deal of effort from everyone in the community, and in the world, yet not everyone will be willing to make this effort. That is why we propose to get everyone educated and work together to create a cleaner, safer, world for the future generations.