Annie Leonard, an American environmental activist and advocate known for her work in promoting sustainability and addressing issues related to waste and consumerism, has said it best: “There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.”( 1)
Everything we toss away lingers in our world, turning our waste into a lasting legacy of pollution and harm.
The Myth of ‘Away’
The notion that trash simply disappears once it leaves our homes is a prevalent misconception that underestimates the far-reaching consequences of our waste disposal practices. Many believe that once they discard an item, it vanishes from their lives, failing to recognise that this waste collects somewhere, another place on the planet, and will have a long-lasting impact on the environment.
Globally, the scale of waste production is staggering. According to the World Bank (2), as of 2020, the world generated about 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, and if current trends continue, this figure is projected to increase to 3.4 billion tons by 2050.
A significant portion of this waste ends up in landfills, where it often takes years, if not centuries, to decompose. The Global Waste Management Outlook (3) reports that about 13% of waste generated worldwide is not properly managed, meaning it is left in open dumps or inadequately controlled landfills. From there, it just spreads by wind or water; it invariably ends up in all corners of the globe. It can even be found in places not visited by humans, such as deserts and glaciers.
Even our oceans are severely impacted by waste. The United Nations estimates that approximately 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans (4) every year. This pollution not only harms marine life — as animals ingest or become entangled in plastic — but also affects human health as the plastic moves upwards through the food chain and ends inside the seafood we consume.
Furthermore, waste infiltrates other ecosystems, impacting wildlife and natural habitats (5). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that about 40% of the U.S. garbage is sent to landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and leachate (a liquid that drains or 'leaches' from a landfill containing dissolved or suspended pollutants), which contaminate soil and waterways.
Landfills – The Hidden Mountains of Trash
Imagine standing atop a vast, mounding sea of trash that seemingly stretches to the horizon. A putrid odour wafts through the air, a sickly blend of rotting food, decomposing plastic, and industrial waste. This is a landfill—a modern monument to our consumer culture—where discarded items are piled high, covered with dirt, and left to decay. As you gaze, you might see scattered remnants of everyday life: broken furniture, rusting appliances, and heaps of plastic bags tangled in the remnants, all silently contributing to a growing environmental crisis.
Impact on the Environment
Landfills profoundly impact the environment in numerous harmful ways. For one, they emit greenhouse gases. As organic waste decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide—over 25 times more effective over a 100-year period, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (3). Estimates suggest that landfills are responsible for about 15% of the total methane emissions in the United States, contributing significantly to climate change.
Additionally, landfills contribute to soil and water contamination. As waste breaks down, it creates leachate, a toxic liquid that seeps from the landfill, carrying harmful chemicals and heavy metals. This leachate can contaminate surrounding soil and groundwater, posing serious health risks to local communities. If it enters water supplies, it can affect drinking water quality, leading to potential health issues such as gastrointestinal diseases, reproductive problems, and cancer.
World’s Largest Landfills
Here is a quick look at the largest landfills around the world (10):
1. Fresh Kills Landfill, New York City: Once the largest landfill in the world, Fresh Kills was operational for over 50 years before closing in 2001. In its heyday, it accepted an estimated 29,000 tons of waste per day, contributing significantly to local air pollution and generating methane that was freely released into the air. Currently, the rubbish mountain is being transformed into a public park, but the environmental legacy of contamination and methane emissions lingers.
2. Santos Landfill, Brazil: The Santos Landfill in São Paulo is notorious for contaminating soil and gas emissions. The landfill has been cited for illegal operations and poor management of leakage of leachate into nearby rivers and agricultural lands. The locals have reported health issues, including respiratory problems and skin diseases, which they attribute to the contaminated water sources stemming from the landfill’s poor waste management practices. People think that it doesn't matter how they dispose of trash, but it does.
3. Puente Hills Landfill, California: Once the largest landfill in the United States, Puente Hills Landfill operated for nearly 60 years before it was closed in 2013. During its operation, it received about 1 million tons of waste annually, contributing to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Although measures were implemented to capture methane for energy use, concerns remain about the local air quality and potential groundwater contamination stemming from previous poor waste management practices.
4. KwaMashu Landfill, Durban, South Africa: The KwaMashu Landfill site has been operational since the 1980s and is still open. It serves the surrounding communities of Durban and is one of the major waste disposal facilities in the region. The landfill manages the waste produced by a rapidly urbanising population. Due to insufficient lining and containment methods, leachate from the landfill has been reported to seep into surrounding soil and groundwater sources. This poses significant risks to the aquifers that serve as a water source for local communities, potentially contaminating drinking water supplies.
Like most landfills, KwaMashu generates methane gas as organic waste decomposes anaerobically. Despite some efforts to capture this gas for energy generation, much of it escapes into the atmosphere, contributing to local air pollution and the broader issue of climate change. Residents living near the landfill have reported persistent foul smells emanating from the site, which reduces their quality of life and leads to respiratory problems. Furthermore, concerns about vectors (like rodents and insects) associated with the open waste heap also pose health risks.
Landfills are a grim reminder of our throwaway culture, encapsulating the consequences of unchecked waste production and inadequate disposal methods. The pungent odours, the leachate threatening local water sources, and the methane gas permeating the atmosphere paint a vivid picture of our environmental crisis. Learning from Fresh Kills, Santos, Puente Hills, and KwaMashu shows that the impacts of landfills extend far beyond their perimeters, affecting communities, ecosystems, and the climate for generations to come. The urgent need for better waste management practices, increased recycling efforts, and a shift toward a circular economy has never been clearer.
Oceans – The Final Resting Place for Plastic Trash
The journey of plastic waste begins on land, where billions of tons of plastic are produced annually for various uses, from packaging to household items. Despite recycling efforts, a significant portion of this plastic ends up in landfills or is discarded improperly. Rain, winds, and human activity contribute to the dispersal of plastic waste, allowing it to enter rivers, streams, and drainage systems.
Once plastic reaches waterways, it can travel considerable distances, passing through urban and rural landscapes. During heavy rains or flooding, stormwater runoff carries large amounts of plastic debris into larger bodies of water, such as rivers and lakes. Eventually, as rivers flow into the ocean, the plastic waste accumulates there.
In the ocean, larger plastic items break down into smaller pieces due to the action of waves, UV radiation, and microbial action, but they do not fully decompose. These smaller fragments, known as microplastics, continue the cycle of pollution as they are ingested by marine organisms, leading to further ecological disruption.
Impact of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life and Ecosystems
Plastic pollution has profound and damaging effects on marine life and ecosystems. Marine animals often mistake plastic debris for food, eat it and suffer physical harm, malnutrition, and even death. Sea turtles, for example, frequently consume plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish. When eaten, plastics can block the digestive tracts of marine animals, leading to starvation or internal injury.
Additionally, larger marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins, can become entangled in discarded fishing gear, nets, and other waste, resulting in injury or drowning.
The toxic chemicals used in the production of plastics can leach into the water, causing chemical contamination and disrupting the endocrine systems of marine species.
The impact of plastic pollution (6) extends to marine ecosystems as well. Coral reefs, vital to marine biodiversity, are negatively affected by plastic debris that harms their structure and health. Furthermore, microplastics have been detected in sediment8 and water columns, disrupting nutrient cycling and the overall health of marine ecosystems.
One of the most striking examples of plastic pollution6 is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) (13), a vast area in the north-central Pacific Ocean where large amounts of plastic debris accumulate. Estimates suggest that the GPGP is composed of approximately 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, weighing around 80,000 metric tons. Research indicates that the patch covers an area of roughly 1.6 million square kilometres, making it one of the biggest manifestations of marine plastic pollution.
Microplastics have also been found in a myriad of marine organisms. Studies reveal that over 90% of deep-sea fish and around 33% of marine mammals contain microplastics in their bodies. In a sampling of fish taken from the Mediterranean Sea, over 73% harboured microplastic particles. These findings point to the pervasive nature of plastic contamination within marine food webs, raising serious concerns about the potential impacts on human health, biodiversity, and the marine ecosystem overall.
The journey of plastic waste from land to sea is a noteworthy environmental concern that threatens marine life and, ultimately, humans. As we become aware of the issue, we must put more effort into reducing, recycling, and responsible disposal of plastic waste, which are critical to reducing the harm.
The Human Cost of Trash
Our throw-away culture also impacts human communities, especially in developing countries. Improper waste management leads to environmental degradation and directly impacts the well-being of human communities.
Waste pollution, with its harmful chemicals and pathogens, increases the risk of people contracting diseases like cholera, respiratory infections, and skin conditions from contaminated water and soil.
Poor waste management practices also impose heavy financial burdens on communities. It costs significantly more to clean up polluted areas than to spend money upfront when establishing effective waste disposal systems.
Waste pollution also exacerbates social inequalities. Marginalised communities often live near waste dumps, facing higher health and economic hardships compared to more affluent areas.
A Call to Action
So, here you have the story of what happens to trash after you throw it away and its long-lasting effects on the environment. In short, we are running out of space to contain the trash we generate. There is no true “away” when we discard items; trash doesn’t simply vanish; it relocates and becomes part of our environmental crisis. The only solution is to become a part of the circular economy, where everything produced is eventually broken down and used to create new goods—like a never-ending circle.
My intention is not to frighten you but to encourage you to reduce, reuse, and recycle more of what you consume. Become more mindful about what you purchase and what you throw away, as it contributes to the ever-growing mountain of trash.
If this message resonated with you in any way, please share your thoughts in the comments section below. We’d love to hear how you feel about waste and trash.
Sources: (Each source is clickable, if you want to read further)
What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050.
Global Waste Management Outlook | UNEP - UN Environment Programme.
Deep sea creatures in the Mariana Trench eat plastic, study finds
Microplastics found in stomachs of deep-sea creatures - study | UK News | Sky News
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