Landfill

Safe and efficient

waste disposal and
high quality habitats.
Landfill
Economic and legislative
drivers are diverting
waste from landfill, but it
remains an important part
of UK waste strategy.
European legislation requires a major
reduction in the amount of waste
going to landfill. This is supported
by landfill tax rising by 8 per tonne
per year, until it reaches 80 in 2014.
Sometimes, however, landfill is the best
or only economic and environmentally
responsible option for disposing of
waste that cant be reused, recycled
or recovered.
Todays landfill sites are far more
sophisticated than people might
expect and are highly engineered
and controlled operations.
One side effect of a maturing landfill
is the release of methane gas.
Left unchecked, this would create
environmental damage, however the
controlled cell design of a Viridor
landfill channels this gas through a
network of pipes. The gas is pushed
through engines that generate
electricity that is fed directly into
the National Grid.
There are 22 Viridor landfill sites and
11 closed sites producing energy in this
way, generating 100 megawatts
of electricity, enough to provide the
domestic power needs for a city
the size of Edinburgh.
This process is a viable alternative
to burning fossil fuels. It reduces
greenhouse gases and preserves
natural resources. So, even worthless
rubbish has its value in the end.
Engineered landfills comprise a
series of fully lined cells that are
systematically filled then capped.
Cells are completely isolated from
surrounding land before tipping
starts and active controls prevent litter,
dust, pests and noise. Full cells are
capped to ensure that the waste in
each cell is safely contained while
it breaks down naturally. An HDPE
liner is used in conjunction with a
compacted clay liner to make sure
the cell is safely contained.
Once a cell is capped it is covered
with at least a metre of clean topsoil
to enable site restoration.
Site management takes place
throughout the operational and
aftercare phases to the highest
professional standards.
Landfill
Economic and legislative
drivers are diverting
waste from landfill, but it
remains an important part
of UK waste strategy.
European legislation requires a major
reduction in the amount of waste
going to landfill. This is supported
by landfill tax rising by 8 per tonne
per year, until it reaches 80 in 2014.
Sometimes, however, landfill is the best
or only economic and environmentally
responsible option for disposing of
waste that cant be reused, recycled
or recovered.
Todays landfill sites are far more
sophisticated than people might
expect and are highly engineered
and controlled operations.
One side effect of a maturing landfill
is the release of methane gas.
Left unchecked, this would create
environmental damage, however the
controlled cell design of a Viridor
landfill channels this gas through a
network of pipes. The gas is pushed
through engines that generate
electricity that is fed directly into
the National Grid.
There are 22 Viridor landfill sites and
11 closed sites producing energy in this
way, generating 100 megawatts
of electricity, enough to provide the
A typical Viridor landfill cell
Leachate liquid
Forms at the bottom of a cell as a
Engineered cap
A cap consists of at least one
product of waste decomposition.
It can be pumped back through the
waste mass to aid breakdown, before
metre of impermeable clay
and clean top soil to enable
site restoration.
being discharged for treatment.
domestic power needs for a city Gas/leachate
abstraction point
the size of Edinburgh.
This process is a viable alternative
Monitoring
to burning fossil fuels. It reduces
Gas/groundwater
greenhouse gases and preserves
monitoring point.
natural resources. So, even worthless
rubbish has its value in the end.
Engineered landfills comprise a Waste material Gas collection pipes Waste material
series of fully lined cells that are
systematically filled then capped.
Cells are completely isolated from
surrounding land before tipping
Compacted
starts and active controls prevent litter,
clay side liner
dust, pests and noise. Full cells are
capped to ensure that the waste in
each cell is safely contained while
it breaks down naturally. An HDPE
Renewable power generation Compacted HDPE and clay liners HDPE liner
liner is used in conjunction with a
Harvested landfill gas is converted clay base liner These liners are put in protection
compacted clay liner to make sure
into renewable power. This yields over place before tipping
the cell is safely contained. 100MW of electricity which is sold to starts and ensure that
the National Grid. the cell remains intact.
Once a cell is capped it is covered
with at least a metre of clean topsoil
to enable site restoration.
Site management takes place
throughout the operational and
aftercare phases to the highest
professional standards.
01 02 03

01 Landfill: We operate 22 landfills

and 33 power plants across the UK.

02 Power: We generate over 100MW

of electricity from landfill gas.

03 Restored: We are aiming to

achieve Biodiversity Benchmark Status
at all our closed landfills.

04 Wildlife: Our sites are havens for

rare plants, birds and other species.

04
 Design: 375.co.uk
Landfill

We continue our efforts to

encourage native and rare species
to make a new home on the land
we look after.

Viridor
Head Office
Viridor House Regional Offices
Youngman Place South East: 01732 229 200 When you have finished with
this leaflet please recycle it.
Priory Bridge Road South West: 01823 728 800
Taunton TA1 1AP North: 0161 872 0976
Tel: 0845 094 5910 Scotland: 0141 781 9151
viridor.co.uk enquiries@viridor.co.uk

This leaflet is printed on

100% recycled paper stock.