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Garbage

Garbage videos can be seen on Much Music all across Canada. No I'm not talking about Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys, I'm talking about the band named Garbage! But seriously folks we are actually talking about waste!

In the past, household wastes were often left to rot and stink in the open, whether in a centralized dump or on the landowner's property. Today, garbage is disposed of in regional or municipal sanitary landfills. Often called a DUMP! These landfills are lined with clay or a strong plastic liner to prevent any materials from leaching into the groundwater. At the end of each day new compacted garbage is covered with a layer of soil. When the landfill is full, it is capped with clay to make it air and water-tight. Materials do not decompose very quickly in the absence of air and water. This process minimizes the amount of material that could decompose and perhaps contaminate groundwater or the surrounding land. The clay is covered with fill (poor grade soil) and topsoil to provide a medium for the growth of vegetation or other uses. Today, sites for sanitary landfills are chosen after soil and water studies are carried out and impacts on the environment, including people, have been considered.

Click here for more information on environmental issues in Alberta.