Where the Garbage goes

May 29, 2013 1:14 PM

I wonder where the garbage goes ? (slyt)
posted by sgt.serenity (7 comments total)

It would be cool to see an updated version of one of these. Now some cities fight over who gets the garbage because they are able to recycle it or use it to power generators. There was recently a story near where I live about a city that wouldn't enter into a contract with a garbage recycler because they weren't sure they could meet the required amount that they needed to guarantee. And where I currently live the city burns a tons to keep the lights on and sends out notices about how you shouldn't throw away glass because it lessens the life of their incinerators. Things have changed a ton.

The dump still looks the same though.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:36 PM on May 29, 2013

For sure, things are a bit different now, but this video is a class act for wee kids and ironic hipsters alike.
posted by sgt.serenity at 1:38 PM on May 29, 2013

I took environmental geology in college (early 2000's) and our professor took us on a field trip to a state of the art garbage dump in eastern Pennsylvania. As we approached the garbage, we didn't know what we were looking at - all we saw were these green hills covered with neatly trimmed grass. It looked like a park. They told us that the garbage is piled, crushed, and then covered by plastic, which is then sealed, then covered by dirt on which grass is planted. Holes are made to capture the escaping methane, which is burned for power. There is a plastic layer underneath as well, and pipes capture the dirty water to clean it, preventing any impact on the aquifer.

Anyway, it was kind of awesome, I'd highly recommend a visit but I can't remember the name of the dump.
posted by exhilaration at 1:57 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

We have one of the first reclaimed "green" dumps in the country here. It's called Mount Trashmore.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 2:20 PM on May 29, 2013

Thumbs up from carter jr. Thanks sarge!
posted by carter at 7:48 PM on May 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

In Michigan, Canadas' garbage finds us because we buy it!
posted by clavdivs at 10:49 AM on May 30, 2013

Thumbs up from carter jr. Thanks sarge!

No problem, always glad to help the minimefites out.
posted by sgt.serenity at 12:14 PM on May 30, 2013