What happens to our garbage?

fuzzybabybunny

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I've heard that because there is no oxygen deep in the bowels of landfills, trash does not decompose. Scientists have found un-decomposed hotdogs from 20 years ago or something in landfills.

So what happens to our trash? Does it just sit there and collect? And uh... just stay there... forever... getting bigger and bigger? :confused:
 

loup garou

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Feb 17, 2000
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Well, it used to be pumped directly into ATOT, but now, much of it is filtered through P&N, with OT handling the overflow from time to time.
 

fuzzybabybunny

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Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Things are built on top of it after a few years of being decommissioned

So after decommission, they pile a huge layer of soil and plastic on top to mask the smell, and build stuff on the hill? That's kinda cool. I think.
 

ElFenix

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i wonder how long before we start mining landfills?
 

slsmnaz

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Originally posted by: loup garou
Well, it used to be pumped directly into ATOT, but now, much of it is filtered through P&N, with OT handling the overflow from time to time.

:thumbsup: :laugh:
 

MrWizzard

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I live in So Cal. and there is a landfill over the hill that was decommissioned and they build a huge hotel/resort on top of it with a big forest. The hotel gets its power from methane gas that is harvested from deep below the resort in the old landfill.

Pretty cool I think.
 

fuzzybabybunny

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Originally posted by: MrWizzard
I live in So Cal. and there is a landfill over the hill that was decommissioned and they build a huge hotel/resort on top of it with a big forest. The hotel gets its power from methane gas that is harvested from deep below the resort in the old landfill.

Pretty cool I think.

So the landfill itself creates methane gas? Can this be done without oxygen? That is so cool!
 

iamwiz82

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Jan 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Things are built on top of it after a few years of being decommissioned

So after decommission, they pile a huge layer of soil and plastic on top to mask the smell, and build stuff on the hill? That's kinda cool. I think.

Something like that, yes. They are putting up a Target on one about 3 miles from our house in the next year.
 

n7

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Jan 4, 2004
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Originally posted by: loup garou
Well, it used to be pumped directly into ATOT, but now, much of it is filtered through P&N, with OT handling the overflow from time to time.


Pwned :laugh:
 

ViviTheMage

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Dec 12, 2002
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madgenius.com
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
I live in So Cal. and there is a landfill over the hill that was decommissioned and they build a huge hotel/resort on top of it with a big forest. The hotel gets its power from methane gas that is harvested from deep below the resort in the old landfill.

Pretty cool I think.

thats awesome
 

Dunbar

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Feb 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
So what happens to our trash? Does it just sit there and collect? And uh... just stay there... forever... getting bigger and bigger? :confused:

I saw a thing on the History Channel about landfills, it does not decompose. Penn and Teller did an epiosode of BS about recycling and landfills. In the US we could fit all of our garbage for the next 100 years in an extremely small area. Modern landfills cover the trash with dirt so, while not pretty, they are not an eye sore and the smell is contained. Some landfills have been coverted into parks. That episode of BS concluded that, besides aluminum, recycling costs more money than it generates (and the taxpayer foots the bill for the billions it costs.)

 

bigrash

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Originally posted by: loup garou
Well, it used to be pumped directly into ATOT, but now, much of it is filtered through P&N, with OT handling the overflow from time to time.

haha
 

kami333

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Dec 12, 2001
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Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
I live in So Cal. and there is a landfill over the hill that was decommissioned and they build a huge hotel/resort on top of it with a big forest. The hotel gets its power from methane gas that is harvested from deep below the resort in the old landfill.

Pretty cool I think.

So the landfill itself creates methane gas? Can this be done without oxygen? That is so cool!

Its an anaerobic process (no oxygen), decomposition by anaerobic bacteria.
 

Codewiz

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Jan 23, 2002
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Originally posted by: Dunbar
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
So what happens to our trash? Does it just sit there and collect? And uh... just stay there... forever... getting bigger and bigger? :confused:

I saw a thing on the History Channel about landfills, it does not decompose. Penn and Teller did an epiosode of BS about recycling and landfills. In the US we could fit all of our garbage for the next 100 years in an extremely small area. Modern landfills cover the trash with dirt so, while not pretty, they are not an eye sore and the smell is contained. Some landfills have been coverted into parks. That episode of BS concluded that, besides aluminum, recycling costs more money than it generates (and the taxpayer foots the bill for the billions it costs.)

The professor that provided all the data and information for that show teaches at Clemson University.

I had him for an economics class.

Awesome teacher and he mentioned a lot of his ideas during that class so when I saw him on BS, I was pretty excited.