Geoenvironmental Issues in High‑Food‑Waste‑Content Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

Abstract

The amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased
significantly in developing countries. Landfilling is the commonly used
treatment for the disposal of MSW. The MSW contains more food waste
in developing countries than in developed countries. This work analyzed
the degradable components of MSW with different food contents.
A theoretical model was introduced to analyze the coupled hydromechanical-
chemical interactions in the landfilled MSW. The impacts of
the degradation on the properties of high-food-waste-content MSW were
reviewed, including the compression behavior, strength parameters, and
hydraulic conductivity. The major cause of geoenvironmental issues in
high-food-waste-content landfills are rapid leachate and landfill gas generation.
A practical model for analyzing leachates and gas production
was presented. Landfills in China were used as an example to describe
engineering measures for leachate drainage and landfill gas collection.
These methods proved successful in solving geoenvironmental issues of
landfills with high leachate levels. The experiences are useful for engineers
who face similar issues with high-food-waste-content landfills in
developing countries.