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CHAPTER 1
Landfilling of municipal solid waste in global perspective
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Landfilling is the oldest and the simplest form of waste disposal. Over the centuries the
process has gone through significant changes, from the form posing a serious threat to the
environment—such as filling naturally occurring repositories or anthropogenic excavations
in the ground (open dumps)—to ending as engineering projects, properly designed with
a view to reduce the impact on the environment (sanitary landfill). However, it still has a
negative impact on water, air and soil, creating hazards on both a local and global level.
These sites occupy large areas of land, which are excluded from use for other purposes for
a long time. Moreover they pose a threat ...