The Landfill Directive will require the pre-treatment of MSW prior to landfilling.
The removal of progressively increasing proportions of the biodegradable fractions from
landfilled waste, and the UK Government’s commitment to increase recycling of key waste
fractions, will lead to an inevitable change, from the disposal of raw MSW, to the disposal of
MSW treatment residues, to landfill. This will undoubtedly change the type and rate of
emissions from landfills. The question that this research project has sought to answer is “how
long will active management be required for different MSW treatment residues?” The term
equilibrium status has been used to define the end point beyond which management of wastes is
no longer necessary. Calculating the equilibrium status of waste involves an assessment of the
landfill gas emissions, leachate quality and hydraulic status of the landfill. These key parameters
change with time as the landfill evolves. Equally, the engineering performance of a site is also
changing with the gradual degradation of the liner and capping systems. The question posed
above is therefore not easily answered