Mining of Landfills for the Recovery of Resources

There are many opportunities associated with the excavating of landfill sites. Many landfills were filled prior to large efforts in recycling and diversion tactics, which leads to many useful and valuable materials being hidden away from use. The prospect of reclaiming materials that were once buried relieves the need to use as much virgin materials for manufacturing and production processes. Organic materials that are recovered through landfill mining can be used to generate energy, or be utilized as cover material for the disposal facility. Through the removal of materials, more capacity can be generated within solid waste disposal systems, which can prolong the operating life of the facility, reduce the need to transport waste to other regions for disposal and ensure a longer period for which new landfills can be sited. Landfill mining is an option to recover valuable materials, storage capacity and generate energy but must be done where it is economically, socially and environmentally appropriate.