Operations & enforcement
What is landfill?
Landfill is the permitted deposit of waste in or on land. Landfill sites are classified by the waste they may accept, and some wastes are banned from landfill entirely.
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<img src="https://wasteoptix.co.uk/glossary/landfill/diagram.svg" alt="landfill — diagram from WasteOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>
<a href="https://wasteoptix.co.uk/glossary/landfill">What is landfill?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://wasteoptix.co.uk">WasteOptix</a>
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</figure>Sites are permitted for particular classes — inert, non-hazardous or hazardous — and accepting waste outside the permitted class is a breach by the site as well as a problem for whoever sent it.
Waste acceptance criteria govern what may be deposited and frequently require testing before a load is accepted. That testing is the producer's problem, and it needs arranging before the lorry leaves.
Certain wastes are banned from landfill outright, including liquid wastes and untreated waste. Pre-treatment before landfill is a requirement rather than good practice.
What goes wrong in practice
- Loads arriving without the acceptance testing the site requires.
- Untreated waste sent to landfill where pre-treatment is required.
- Site class assumed rather than confirmed before a stream is routed there.