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You may think that a landfill or dump site is just a giant hole in the ground, but EPA and OSHA have a much greater say processing your trash.
When I was a kid, my family lived near Ann Arbor, MI next to a landfill. I remember watching the giant trash trucks drive in. There were seagulls and pigeons flying around all the time. I even remember during the summer you could smell it. It really did stink. We moved away when I was in the second grade. When I was older and went for a walk down memory lane the landfill was gone and in its place was this:
The landfill had become a park. I though, “that is so cool,” I didn’t know this was a common practice. There are many factors to consider when city planners get together and “build” a landfill.
Here is a diagram of a landfill for the community of Monterey, CA that includes reuse of menthane gas providing energy.
Kind of cool. We have discovered a way to turn our trash into energy, bioenergy.
Prepared Subgrade: This is the raw soil the creates the outline of the landfill.
Compacted Clay: Clay is added and compacted to form a natural barrier filter in between the liner and earth.
Geomembrane: This is a high-density plastic liner that is impermeable and extremely resistant to decomposing chemicals and compounds, also called Leachates.
Pipe System: Pipes are installed to exhaust methane gases (Leachates) that will be produced during decomposition. This exhaust is funneled through a management facility to create significantly less air pollution. Sometimes the facility energy plant renewing the exhaust into usable energy.
Geotextile Filter: This material is sometimes used over the pipe intake to reduce the debris entering the pipe systems.
Leachate Collection Layer: A layer of sand, gravel or hard plastic mesh that allows the Leachates to seep to the pipe system by way of gravity.
Waste Layer: The trash that is dumped into the land fill.
Daily Cover: The waste layer is covered daily with soil or other approved materials to reduce odors, keep litter from blowing around and also to help scavengers and pests.
When the landfill reaches its planned capacity these layers are added.
Compacted Clay: This layer of compacted clay prevents excess water and moisture from entering the landfill. The addition of water forms more gas which would cause unneeded air pollution and offensive odor.
Geomembrane: The top geomembrane with the clay promotes a better top seal on the landfill.
Drainage Layer: Gravel to help filter in between the cover soil and geomembrane.
Protective Cover Soil: Protects the landfill cap system and provides additional moisture retention to help support the cover vegetation.
Top Soil: Helps to support and maintain the growth of vegetation by retaining moisture and providing nutrients.
Cover Vegetation: As portions of the landfill are completed, native grasses and shrubs are planted and the areas are maintained as open spaces. The vegetation is visually pleasing and prevents erosion of the underlying soils.
So there you have it. What you thought was a useless hole in the ground not. It is a well engineered, necessary part of our existence that is being put to the best use possible.
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Why would you need to request special trash pickup?
Special Trash is defined differently by each municipality around the country. The general understanding is trash that is too large to fit into a receptacle or that consists of hazardous chemicals that cannot be taken to a landfill.
Items that do not fit into a regular size trash bin require special trash pick up. These are items that can NOT be disposed of regularly do to size and material:
- Air conditioners
- Stoves
- Dish washers
- Washing machines and dryers
- Water heaters
- Lawn mowers
- Doors
- Sinks
- Toilets
- Mattresses
- Furniture
- Televisions
Large trash items cannot always be lifted by the truck, or put into a standard truck compactor. These items may need to be lifted by two workers or may need to be loaded on a special truck and taken to a special dump or recycling center.
Special Trash Pickup for Chemicals is required by some municipalities.
There are many household items that have stickers and warning labels. These labels address safety for both the use and the disposal of the contents as well as the container. Landfills are responsible to avoid various levels of contamination depending on the anatomy of the landfill.
Tires: Tires require special trash pickup or disposal no matter where you live!
The process of tire waste can be hazardous directly to the air and ground. Tires are extremely flammable. Tire fires cause severe air pollution. Some specially engineered plants around the world provide tire incineration which creates energy. They are equipped with sophisticated ventilation systems to minimize air pollution. Most landfills will be cited and fined if they accept tires.
For more information about when you should request special trash pick up visit the website or call your local solid waste department.
In Cobb County, GA for information concerning solid waste services please email solidwaste@cobbcounty.org or call (678) 581-5488.
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Acworth, Georgia, welcomes visitors with the warm southern hospitality expected by small towns in Georgia.
Acworth is located 35 miles northwest of Atlanta. Due to its close proximity to the massive metropolitan, the small town is a close jaunt for a relaxing getaway. Acworth offers a historic shopping district, as well as a world renowned golf course. Lake Acworth offers fun as a non-motorized water playground.
If shopping is your thing…
Acworth offers a shuttle service for your convenience to get you comfortably around town. Enjoy a collection of shops and restaurants, then stop at the park to experience the train station. Check your watch… Trains on the way!
If you come to Acworth to enjoy the Drives and Greens…
The Cobblestone Golf Course
- Outings and Events
- Golf Academy
- Junior Golf Academy
- Plan your next Company Golf Tournament at the Cobblestone Golf Course.
If you enjoy water adventure, Acworth, GA offers the Cauable Park.
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This 25 Acre Park offers
- fishing points
- a boating ramp (for electric motor driven boats only)
- a boardwalk
- a beach
- rental facilities
- two playgrounds
- an open play area
- and public rest rooms.
- Summer Concert Series
- Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival
- Ski competitions
- Fourth of July fireworks show
R & R Containers is a proud member of the Acworth Community. For your trash containers needs call R&R Containers today.
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Do you have any idea what recycled materials are worth?
A international waste disposal company is discovering the cost or profit of recycling our trash. They offer FREE use of a container, FREE pick up and delivery, they take your “trash” and keep the profit. Yes, Profit! They specify materials such as:
- Plastic bottles and containers
- Beverage cans
- Paper
- Flattened cardboard
- Paperboard
- Food and beverage cartons
Each of these commodities offers varying rebates around the country. Particularly metal products have a huge rebate to the tune of a low figure of $200 per ton. Cardboard and paper is not as lucrative but still offers in the ballpark of $100 a ton. Around the country these numbers change but you should know what kind of money you’re leaving on the curbside, just glad that someone will come pick it up.
I always say, “No one is going to pay for your trash,” and it is only your lack of knowledge to believe a large, successful company is just doing you (and the environment) a favor.
One source I checked explains:
The rebate (value to you) of aluminum cans varies between 28 cents and 50 cents per pound over a one year period. There are about 30 can in a pound. Not a great rebate, but for a larger community effort could be beneficial. As with these cans, the value of metal varies often. Contact a local recycling provider to find out what the going rate is.
Corrugated cardboard is worth $80 per ton (baled = 3/4 ton per). That’s pretty good if your business received a lot of cardboard packaged deliveries.
The value of recycling far outweighs the profit of recycling. EPA shares it’s thoughts.
For specifics, it’s hard to find. Recycling commodities are like stocks. They are in fact illusive.
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You know how important recycling is, you just don’t know how you can do your part.
We all appreciate the opportunity to recycle. Our towns and cities have allowed us to participate but the rules are sometimes confusing. Initially, recycling household products involved separating into bins before they were picked up. Now, many communities have gone to a single bin for all products.
Have the recycling rules changed?
No. There are still standards about recycling we need to be aware of and I thought it may be helpful to remind you of those in a list so here are the facts:
Electronics
Many cities and towns have locations that receive and recycling electronics. Some refurbish them for resale or redistribution. Some disassemble to destroy. Sometimes there are rebates sometime not.
Glass
- Glass containers (bottles) are often separated by color.
- Lightbulbs, sheet glass, mirrors and Pyrex recycle together because of a different melting point than containers.
Metal
Almost all metal can be recycled. Metal has a good to excellent rebate. Day to day the demand for different metals will fluctuate. A vital detail regarding metal is cleanliness.
- Food can need to be rinsed. Some centers prefer no labels.
- Soda cans need to be rinsed. Some centers like them crushed others not.
- Foil wrap need to be rinsed.
- Paint and aerosol cans are hazardous but are sometime accepted with labeling intact at recycling facilities.
- All other heavy metals like copper, iron, steel are recyclable and valuable
Paper and Cardboard
- Newspaper: gets recycled back into newspaper
- Magazines, glossy print papers, phone books, envelopes, letters, paper packaging, standard office paper
- Drink cartons with waxy lining
- Corrugated cardboard: looks like this
- Do not include: carbon paper, stickers, laminated paper and cardboard, food or grease stained wrappers and napkins
Plastics
Fortunately, most communities allow you to throw all your plastics into the same bin to be sorted by the recycling center. It is important when buying products to understand the challenges for recycling. Recycle by numbers is a great article about what the numbers mean in content and recycling.
Please take the time to sort your recyclables from your regular trash, every effort makes a difference.
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When you order a dumpster for a clean up project, you may imagine you can put anything in it.
Of course you do. You call the company, they bring you the dumpster, they take it and dump it at the landfill. Who cares what’s in it? Well, believe it or not, there are standards to which the Roll Off Service Provider is responsible to ensure the load does not contain any special/hazardous waste materials.
Items that require special arrangements to dispose legally.
This is a list of Acceptable Waste, obtained from AugustaGA.Gov for your Rented Dumpster:
- Household waste: garbage, trash, sanitary waste, furniture (non-metallic), televisions, porcelain products, mattresses, and appliances derived from single and multiple family residences, hotels, motels, crew quarters, picnic grounds, day-use recreation facilities, bunkhouses, and ranger stations.
- Inert waste: non-hazardous waste soil, concrete, cured asphalt, rock, bricks, yard trimmings, stumps, limbs, logs, untreated and unpainted lumber, leaves, and pine straw.
- Construction and Demolition waste: waste building materials and rubble resulting from construction, remodeling, repair, paving, and demolition operations. This includes such items as wood, brick, concrete, metal, wallboard, insulation, and other non-hazardous building materials.
- Metal waste: pipe, wire, washers and dryers, refrigerators (all coolant must be removed prior to transporting to landfill) lawnmowers, wheels, and other large metal household items.
- Tires: solid or pneumatic rubber tires are accepted, but must be placed in the area
specifically designated and demarcated for this waste.
- Industrial waste: non-hazardous solid waste, including food products, metal, leather and leather products, plastics, pulp, paper, stone, glass, and concrete. Depending on the specific nature and volume of the waste, the landfill may require that special handing and/or testing be conducted on industrial waste. Customers planning to dispose of such waste should contact the landfill for additional information prior to shipment.
These are the Restricted Items:
Industrial Waste
Asbestos Containing Waste
Bio-hazardous Waste
Petroleum Contaminated Soil
Refrigerant Containing Waste
Read to clarify the restrictions at AugustaGA.Gov
If you are concerned about the materials you need to dispose of, Call us! We will be happy to assist you!
