A mountain of rotting garbage silhouetted on the horizon. Noxious plumes of vile gas stream from its husk and rise like a haze against the setting sun. Plastic bags blow in the wind while flocks of seagulls scavenge amongst the waste.



This scene may represent a great many Americans' preconceived visions of a landfill: dirty, foul, and polluted. But despite these dour perceptions, we would all agree that landfills are necessary. Especially as long as the average American generates over 1,600 pounds of waste per year.



But I would like to add a new, more positive, descriptor to the list: sophisticated. How else can you describe some of the state-of-the-art landfills in this country?



Modern landfills feature all sorts of technologies and refined methods to ensure that the environmental impact of our immense consumption is minimized. For starters, a leachate collection system gathers any toxic liquids that percolate through the decomposing mass, protecting groundwater supplies from contamination. The collected liquids are then stored and analyzed before being transported to a nearby water treatment facility.



Space is also an important factor to consider in a landfill. The more compacted the trash, the better. To accomplish this, gargantuan bulldozers navigate through the heap and compress the garbage to an astounding 1500 pounds per cubic yard!



Another advanced feature is starting to become more commonplace in America's landfills. When rotting trash decomposes, it creates a large amount of methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas over twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide, but it's also an excellent source of energy. For this reason, an intricate system of pipes and wells can be utilized to collect the methane and channel it through engine-generators that burn the gas to produce electricity. There are now over 541 landfill-gas-to-energy projects in the United States, providing renewable power to 1.7 million homes!



When a landfill has concluded its useful lifespan, sophistication can metamorphose into beauty, which is exactly what's happening with Freshkills Park in New York City. Here, what was formerly the world's largest landfill will be become a 2,200 acre park. Reclamation efforts began in 2008 and will continue for at least 30 years. Per the City of New York:





The transformation of what was formerly the world's largest landfill into a productive and beautiful cultural destination will make the park a symbol of renewal and an expression of how our society can restore balance to its landscape.

From landfill to park.



Across the country, landfills make the best of a wasteful situation. They do not necessarily leave an indelible stain upon the earth. Instead, once a landfill has been used to its fullest extent, there are signs of rebirth and regrowth. Green prairies grow and become littered with packs of blue wildflowers rustling in the breeze. Scurrying animals populate the revived land. Nature returns.