Geoenvironmental Issues in High-Food-Waste-Content Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

The amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased significantly in developing countries. Landfilling is the commonly used treatment for the disposal of MSW. The MSW contains more food waste in developing countries than in developed countries. This work analyzed the degradable components of MSW with different food contents. A theoretical model was introduced to analyze the coupled hydro-mechanical-chemical interactions in the landfilled MSW. The impacts of the degradation on the properties of high-food-waste-content MSW were reviewed, including the compression behavior, strength parameters, and hydraulic conductivity. The major cause of geoenvironmental issues in high-food-waste-content landfills are rapid leachate and landfill gas generation. A practical model for analyzing leachates and gas production was presented. Landfills in China were used as an example to describe engineering measures for leachate drainage and landfill gas collection. These methods proved successful in solving geoenvironmental issues of landfills with high leachate levels. The experiences are useful for engineers who face similar issues with high-food-waste-content landfills in developing countries.