Greenhouse gases: the incineration of plastic produces carbon dioxide (CO 2) - a primary driver of global climate change. What are the environmental impacts of incineration? Incineration is one form of waste management. Incineration is the burning of a given material - in the case of plastic, this is done at very high temperatures. 5 The study concluded that whilst leachate of substances as either non-detectable or in very low concentrations, a precautionary approach would deem this material only controllable if landfills are equipped with adequate liner and leachate treatment. 4 A report by the European Commission aimed to provide a detailed analysis and overview of the available evidence on the behaviour of PVC in landfills. Where plastics are not handled correctly, some types of plastic - such as polyvinyl chloride PVC - can leach chemicals such as additives and plasticiser compounds. However, local pollution can occur where this is not implemented effectively, or the lining breaks down and is not replaced. Well-managed landfills are usually surrounded by protective lining to prevent water leaching to the surrounding environment. Leachate: decomposing material can produce nutrient-rich or polluted waters which - if not properly contained - can leach to the surrounding environment and potentially enter waterways and soils. Plastic, which is hard to break down, degrades over very long timescales (particularly under low oxygen conditions) does not contribute to this effect. In some landfill sites, methane gas can be captured and ‘flared’ (burned) for energy production. Greenhouse gases: when organic matter decomposes to produce methane (CH 4) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) - both are greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. However, such landfills still have negative environmental impacts: In many cases this involves covering or burying with soils or other materials. Well-managed landfill facilities have expectations to gather, compact and safely store waste. Such uncontrolled disposal facilities can make plastics vulnerable to pollution of the surrounding environment and at risk of entering the ocean. However, across many countries today landfill resources can be poorly-managed in many cases dumped in open landfills, pits or dumps. This is typically the case in high-income countries today where landfills are well-managed and effectively regulated. The modern definition of a landfill is of a disposal site for materials through burial. Here, it’s important to distinguish between the quality/effectiveness of landfills. One option of handling plastic waste is sending it to landfill. ![]()
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