Special issue on the Asian–Pacific Landfill Symposium (APLAS) Seoul 2010

Excerpt

The high population and rapid economic development in the Asia–Pacific region continue to increase. Moreover, urbanization is generating serious issues. The combination of these two factors has also contributed to the enormous amounts of waste generated during recent decades. The World Bank estimated that waste generation in urban areas of the Asia–Pacific region will range from 450,000 to 760,000 tons/day until 2025. Many areas of this region are diverse in terms of their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Even within the same area, waste generation rates vary. In the past, dumping and burning of waste in the environment were common practices. Landfills are engineered areas where waste is placed into the land, according to the definition of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This is the most common alternative disposal means for municipal solid waste (MSW) in many countries. Landfill also serves to protect the environment from contaminants which may be present in MSW and its byproducts during the degradation process. Overall, MSW management systems involve not only environmental but also economic and social issues. Recently, landfill has been considered as a reservoir of energy generated from emitted gases, which has been stimulated by increasing demand for alternative renewable energy sources. …