Litter Catch Fences

Are you using fences to manage litter at your landfill?   

"If you don't use a variety of fences at your landfill, yet your complaining about litter, you're not dealing with the problem, your chasing symptoms"  (Who Says You Have a Litter Problem, Neil Bolton, MSW Management, July/August 2000)

Relying on one line of defence for managing your litter will help, but it won't solve the blowing litter issues.  You need to look at a variety of fencing options.  This includes, using perimeter fences,  wind-break fences, and portable catch fences.  You may need to erect temporary or semi-permanent lines of fences across your site between your action operations and the perimeter fences to catch litter.  In some circumstances, you may need to use tall baseball netting.  

Fencing systems must be designed to keep litter inside the landfill.   You want to focus on keeping blowing litter to a minimum by using operating practices that include operation of small working faces, apply cover,  and good compaction.   In some wind conditions, you may even need to limit your landfill operations.  

Perimeter Fence

Perimeter fences serve more than one purpose.  They provide site security, can limit animal access, and they are the last line of litter catchment before litter can escape the site. 

Perimeter fencing is most commonly constructed as a chain-link fence mounted on steel post.  Some designs include extension of the fence fabric below the ground surface and addition of electric fencing wire to discourage bear intrusion.    To prevent human intrusion, the fences should be a heavy gauge mesh and mounted on sturdy fence posts.  Some facilities will include barb-wire strands on top (as in the photo above).  Signs should be posted that clearly state 'no entry', and if the fence is electrified. 

To be effective as a litter catchment fence, the mesh wire should not be greater than 2 inches.    A unique design that I've seen installed in a couple of location in Southern Alberta is a sloping perimeter fence.  The fence is slope into the prevailing wind direction on the downwind side of the active landfill.   The concept behind this design is to drive the blowing litter to the bottom of the fence for easier retrieval and to minimize plugging of the fence that can happen with vertical fences. 

With either a vertical fence or sloping fence design, it is essential that the fences be cleaned of any litter that is trapped by the fence for both aesthetic reasons and to maintain the fence.  If litter is allowed to collect on the fence fabric, it may eventually plug the free flow of air through the fence and litter will then blow over the fence, or it may result in the fence being blown over. 

Intermediate Fencing

What I mean by intermediate fencing is fencing that is placed at strategic locations between the active areas of the landfill and the site perimeter fences.  Intermediate fencing may be temporary, semi-permanent, or even permanent when it makes sense to do so. 

The purpose of intermediate fencing may be to establish fence boundaries for different operations on the landfill and to provide added security if needed.  For purpose of this writing, it is fencing that is placed at location through the site to catch blowing litter.  The more of this fencing that is used, there will be less litter collecting along perimeter fences, and by logic, the less litter that will escape the landfill property.  

Intermediate fencing can consist of single rows of fencing or multiple rows.  Of course this will be determined by blowing litter direction, wind conditions experienced at the site, site topography, and budget allowances. 

When permanent fences are used, the fence could consist simply of a wire mesh fence (with no greater than a 2 inch mesh) mounted on angle iron posts, or it could be constructed similar to the chain-link perimeter fencing. 

Using semi-permanent fences allows for the fencing to be easily moved as the landfill expands.  The angle iron post design could be established as a temporary fence and used where it will be in that location for longer periods of time.   Some fence designs marketed by fencing companies are intended to be even more temporary.  Some vendor designs are simple fabric mounted on light weight posts and are anchored with wires.  Others are designed to angle into the wind.  The intent of the design is so that these fences can be easily and quickly moved. 

The baseball netting fences, may also be considered as an intermediate fence.  These fencing systems are usually a permanent installation, so their choice of location needs to be well planned out.  they need to be placed where the litter blows and where they won't interfere with landfill operations and development.   Some netting designs can be installed in a temporary location and be moved as the landfill operations move.  See photo examples below. 

Portable Catch Fences

Portable catch fences are used in close proximity of the active working face.  The are designed to be quickly moved so they can move with the continually moving working face and when the wind direction changes. 

Most designs consist of a heavy frame structure that is mounted on a skid frame.  The fence mesh is typically a heavier gauge 2 inch wire mesh.  The skid frame acts as the base to hold the fence erect.   My view is that the base (or skid frame) needs to be 2/3 the height of the vertical fence frame.   Ideally, at least 2/3 of the base should extend to the downwind site of the fence to reduce the potential for the fence blowing over.   These fence designs are moved by pulling the fence sections with the landfill equipment. 

Portable fencing sections can also be designed to slope into the wind.  This helps contain the litter at the bottom of the fence and reduce plugging of the fence.  

Some other innovative designs use a steel bar section on the vertical section of the fence that is built so the top of a loader bucket can hook under the bar to lift the fence and carry to the desired location

There are numerous manufacturers that market portable fence systems and can be easily found on an Internet search.   Landfill operators often develop their own innovated designs and work with local welding shops. 

What I think is important in portable fence design is:

• use heavy frames to reduce damages that occur with light frames
• use a wire mesh that is no greater than 2 inches
• design the fence with a substantial base to prevent it from blowing over
• design the fence so the ends butt up against each other, or even so they can over lap

Placing portable catch fences

The placement and use of portable litter catchment fences is just as important as their design.  Poorly placed, they can be completely ineffective.  The fences must be placed closed to the source of the litter and downwind.  Some operators will place these fences in a circular pattern around their active working face.  

Neil Bolton suggest using multiple rows of fences.  With a single row, the fence can be plugged and the litter will then blow over the fence.  Some litter may be trapped behind the fence if a sheltered zone is created by the plugged fence, but by placing a second row of fence, secondary trapment exists.  A third row provides an even higher degree of litter trapment.   A good example of this technique being applied is in the photo of the Lethbridge Regional Landfill at the top of this blog entry.

Ultimate Fencing Systems

If one searches around the Internet, you'll come across some fencing systems that entirely enclose the active working face under a mesh tent-like structure.   One example is shown below.  

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.

Example Landfill with Litter Issues

This landfill is located on the Canadian Prairies in an area that is un-sheltered and is exposed to windy conditions that are typical of the southern portion of the Canadian Prairie Provinces.   

At this point in time, the operators maintained a large open working face that was about 25 to 30 feet high.  Waste was unloaded from self-haul customers at the bottom (toe) of the working face, and commercial customers unloaded at the top.   

Vehicles unloading at the bottom of the face were somewhat sheltered and litter catchment fences were around the tipping area, but were not well positioned for best protection.

The commercial vehicles unloading at the top were exposed to high winds and there was no litter control fencing provided for shelter or litter catchment. 

To add to the litter issues, effective bylaw and bylaw enforcement was lacking.  Loads on inbound vehicles were often unsecured.  This led to litter along roads leading to the site and contributed litter issues at the landfill. 

The operators were provided with well designed portable litter catchment fences.  The fences were not effectively used around the working face.  Fences were placed around the lower tipping area, but they were not well positioned to closed the gaps between fence sections.    These fences were not effective in catching blowing litter off the working face, simply because of the height of the working face.   The tipping area at the top of the face, which was the most exposed to the wind,  had no litter fencing available.  

THE RESULTS

Recommendations

The recommendations for litter management at this site included:

-  minimize and control the size of the working face

-  increase the amount of portable litter catch fences

-  place portable fences where they will be effective and close gaps

-  add portable wind-break fences to shelter exposed tipping areas

-  establish effective controls for un-secured loads

-  implement a litter retrieval program

Do you have a landfill litter problem?

Neal Bolton of Blueridge Services Inc. wrote a book "Landfill Operator's Handbook" which is probably the most useful book to a landfill operator that you'll find.  He also writes numerous article on landfill operation and safety.  In his writings, he often talks about litter control.  If you don't have his book, you should check it out.  Look up the web page for Blueridge Services Inc. 

In his writings, Mr. Bolton makes the statement that "all landfills have litter, but not all landfills have a litter problem".   Based on this statement, in my courses that I teach on this topic, I ask the following questions:

-  Do your neighbours complain about litter at your landfill?
-  Do the regulators comment on litter problems when they do inspections
-  Do you think you have a litter problem. 

If you can answer No to these 3 questions, then you might not have a litter problem. Of course, if the answer is Yes, then you have a problem that you need to address. 

I had this discussion today with a contractor of one of our operations.  We were out doing an inspection around the site and now that the snow has almost melted away, the ugly side of litter that has collected over the winter is showing its ugly head.  As we talked about getting after the spring clean up, I mentioned that my belief is litter on your site reflects your image.  If you don't tackle the litter problem, your image will certainly be negative.  When a site is kept clean, you display a positive and professional image. 

In my former life as a regulator, if I went onto a site that was clean, well organized, and had excellent litter control, my inspections were less likely to get too intrusive.  You might say I didn't look under the carpet to see what was hidden.   On the other hand, if I went onto a site that was disorganized and litter was abound, I would start looking deeper into the operation to see what else was wrong.  This was really because of a natural human reaction.  If everything visually looks right, there is an instant level of trust.  If it doesn't look right, there is no trust.  

The same can be said for the public reaction.  A clean site will gain trust, and messy site will lose trust.   A few years ago, well maybe more than a few (I'm getting to be an 'old guy" in this business), I got involved in a landfill with a severe public image problem.  The neighbours had lost complete trust in the landfill owner, the landfill operators, and the government regulators.   This one landfill consumed almost 80% of my time in that one year.  The regulators began looking into every detail including design, operating plans, groundwater,  waste acceptance, site controls, and of course litter.   This landfill had an ongoing litter problem that the site operators ignored even after their image was severely damaged.  The landfill operator, owner, regulators and public ended up in a lengthy legal hearing that only the lawyers seem to come out ahead, the municipality owners lost political credibility, the regulators lost credibility, and the landfill contractor eventually lost the operating contract.   If the litter problem had been properly dealt with by all parties in the first place , I don't believe this long drawn out nightmare would have happened. 

This is only one example of where lack of litter controls at a landfill have caused public distrust and loss of credibility by the owners and operators of a landfill.  I have seen too many examples over my career.  

There is an old saying "Perception is Reality".   You can apply this to your landfill.  If the public perceives that you aren't managing the litter at the landfill, chances are that your aren't. 

Stay tuned!  In future posts, I'll be talking about various techniques for litter control.