Landfill Litter Management

Here I'll summarize some basic techniques for managing, or controlling, litter at landfills.

1.   Develop a Litter Management Plan

Prepare a written plan that describes the litter management programs for your landfill.  This plan should outline bylaws or ordinances and how enforcement is done.  The plan should include policies and procedures for managing improperly contained waste loads.  It should include procedures for directing customers on-site and describe operating procedures for site litter controls.   With this plan, you should identify how you will monitor the effectiveness of the litter controls and you should include a practical response plan for litter clean-up. 

2.   Present a professional image.  

If you maintain a pleasing appearance at your landfill, you gain a greater degree of cooperation of your customers.  They will appreciate the effort to keep a site clean and are far more likely to take more care in how they transport their own loads are are far more likely to pay attention to site rules and site staff directions.  This can help your operation in more ways that just litter control, but it is an important piece of a litter management program.



3.   Cover

Cover includes cover of waste transporting vehicles and cover of waste disposed in the landfill.  Waste loads should be secured, tarped, or enclosed to prevent litter along roads leading to the landfill and along the landfill site roads.  This generally requires cooperation of legal enforcement agencies to be effective. 

Waste that is deposited at the landfill should be covered within practical reason to minimize exposure of the waste to wind. 

4.  Shelter to Prevent Wind-Blown Litter

An active working face that is sheltered from wind will minimize the amount of wind blown litter.   Shelter can be provided using natural wind breaks such as tree cover and sometimes topographical features.   Using portable wind-breaks placed on the upwind side of an active working face has also proven to be effective in reducing the speed of wind, thus reducing the amount of blowing litter. 

5.  Catch Litter

Most landfills use a variety of litter 'catch' fences to trap litter so that it doesn't escape the landfill.  This can include portable fences placed around the active working face,  temporary intermediate fencing placed through the landfill property, and perimeter fences at the site property lines.  




6.   Retrieve Litter

With effective litter control fences and operation procedures, there will be times when litter still escapes the active landfill area, or the landfill property.   The litter program MUST include a retrieval or clean up program in a timely way so that any fugitive litter does not collect for any unacceptable length of time.