Largest Landfill

When you’re told that you’re visiting what used to be the largest landfill in the world, it’s not like you’re excited to see it, let alone smell it and stand in it. But as we stepped off the bus at Fresh Kills, we were greeted by green grass, wildflowers, and a cool breeze. I knew Fresh Kills was in the process of being capped and that in 30 years, it’d be one of the largest national parks and that parts were already open to the public but I wasn’t expecting rolling hills and seagulls. Fresh Kills was the only place New York City dumped its garbage for nearly half a century. On March 22, 2001 the largest landfill in the world closed and the transformation began. (Withgott, Brennan; 2007) 2,000 acres of trash, piling up to almost 225 ft high …show more content…
“In 2003, U.S. citizens produced 236 million tons of municipal solid waste.” (Withgott, Brennan; 2007) This trash comes from the throw-away society that we have become accustomed to. From our disposable silverware to disposable cameras, the things we throw away have to go somewhere. But most Americans have an out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. As long as it’s not in their backyard, they do not really care (or even know, sometimes) where it all ends up. The not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) mindset further perpetuates the problem of waste management. So then, where does all of this trash go? Most of it is not biodegradable so it ends up in large piles somewhere, the ocean, incinerated, or underground surrounded by impermeable plastic. It is important to note the difference between municipal and industrial waste: municipal refers to what we recognize as every day trash from food scraps to furniture while industrial waste is from facilities and agriculture and petroleum extraction and both categories are regulated differently. Municipal waste is regulated by the federal government and industrial waste is regulated by the state. Hazardous material can come from either category and is becoming a bigger problem because it is so difficult to …show more content…
The Fresh Kills website does a really great job of showing how long and complicated it can be to fully transform an area so big. The site is easy to follow and the print is appealing and informative while being careful not to use too much jargon. @PostLandfill on Twitter also does a great job of promoting a more sustainable lifestyle while still remaining appealing to the public. It posts regularly and targets a specific audience as well. The blog I selected to review is called “Finding Away, The trash blog”. The writers focus on trash everywhere, not just landfills, travelling around the US asking people about garbage. I was able to read about a company that is working to be “Zero Landfill” which is remarkable considering that they take waste from other industries. There are some people out there that care about what happens to the plastic cup after you throw it in the trash can, unfortunately there is still much work to be done in order to reach a sustainable way of life on