DeLaWho? DeLaWhat? DeLaWhere?

For my Environemental Geology class, we took a little trip to Waste Management's Suburban Landfill in Glenford, OH. This impressive engineered mound of garbage provides Construction & Demolition Debris Disposal, Contaminated Soil Remediation, Liquid Waste Disposal, Municipal Solid Waste Disposal, Special Waste Disposal, and Transportation of Special Waste for central Ohio. This twelve year old facility was managed by a relatively young man who gave us a two hour tour of the mountain of waste, which hasa an elevation of 1100 feet and is by far the highest point in Licking County. He showed us how the solidify liquid waste, how they seal the landfill, how they manage the land and how they manage the waste. It was an impressive operation that combined high technology with brute mechanical strength. Other than a construction site, it would be a 6 year old's favorite place with large dump trucks whose tires were taller than my 6'2'' frame. This trip gave me perspective as to the amount of waste we produce daily as the Suburban Landfill accepts 2600 tons of waste a day. The manager stressed the importance of recycling, not only so he could make more money, but also because cans, bottles, and paper are relatively light and take up valuable air space in the mounds-o-trash. I began to think about my daily consumption and the amount of waste that I produce and how I can cut down on such things. I think it is valuable for one to take a trip to one's local landfills, if not for the lovely views and fresh air, then for a little perspecitive.