Landfill in Falkirk

1
Landfill in Falkirk

2
The Problem

• We are going to talk about landfill in our local
  area and what effects it has on our climate

3
Data About the problem

• 91 of household waste in Falkirk is put in
  landfill, only 9 is recycled or re-used
• 90,877 tonnes per year in 2004/2005
• Only around 5,500 tonnes collected for recycling
  from households

4
Effect on Climate of Landfill Gas

• Carbon Dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse
  gas, Methane is much more potentwith 21 times as
  much global-warming potential.
• 50 of landfill gas is methane and the remainder
  is mostly CO2
• Remains in atmosphere for 9-15 years

5
Effect on Climate of Landfill Gas

• There are many contributors to global warming but
  the greenhouse gases found in landfill sites are
  a huge part of it
• Since Industrial revolution volume of methane in
  atmosphere has increased by 250
• Unless technologies change this will only
  increase
• The worlds temperature has gone up by 0.2C every
  decade for the last 30 years
• 2003 warmest year on record in Scotland
• Rainfall in winter on the increase
• By 2100 couldve risen by between 1.4 5.8C
• This will be most evident in our part of the world

6
Other effects of landfill gas

• Foul odours
• Smog
• Stress on plant life

7
Climate and our lives

• Heat new insects and diseases may affect our
  plant and wildlife
• We enjoy clean running water, this may become
  harder to acquire, may cost more
• Our town is on the Firth of Forth, the rising sea
  levels are predicted to erode our coastline
• Area around our town has lots of farmland.
  Changing climate will have a direct effect on how
  farmers can use that land
• Our weather will become even more unpredictable!

8
Solutions for Landfill

• The three bin kerb side recycling service
• Blue bin household recyclable materials such as
  cardboard, metal cans, paper and plastic all of
  this material is recycled by Falkirk Council
• Brown bin garden waste such as leaves, grass
  cuttings etc this is composted

9
Another Solution

• Avondale, Polmont near Boness
• How it works
• Avondale landfill is fully lined so gases
  generated within the landfill cells during
  decomposition of the waste, are collected, then
  drawn off via a comprehensive network of pipes to
  the power generation unit to produce electricity.
  
• Currently the landfill generates and exports
  6.6Megawatts to the grid making it a provider of
  energy to the nation. approximately enough to
  supply 3,000 homes
• 85,878 tonnes of waste was put here in 2004/05
• Collecting the gas minimises the gas emission but
  the landfill material does not go away!

10
Landfill in America

• Americas landfills are quickly filling up
• Americas landfill sites contain the equivalent
  of 4 years of American steel production
• Land fill mining
• Dig up existing landfill and determine what can
  be recycled
• Reminiscent of WALL-E
• Methane collection also widely used in America

11
Our Solution

• There are many solutions that exist today
• Methane collection
• Cash for Cans etc
• If and when Landfill mining becomes profitable it
  will be a useful solution to the landfill that
  exists
• We need to try to reduce the amount of material
  being placed in landfill

12
Our Solution

• Education
• People need to be made aware of the benefits of
  recycling
• There is an ignorance that exists towards
  recycling
• Not everyone is using the blue bin service our
  Council provides