Definition

Landfills are locations where disposable materials are sent, which are then buried underground. During this process, precautions are taken to prevent the waste from reaching and potentially contaminating any groundwater.

Types of Landfills

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills: MSW landfills are the most common types of landfills and is where household waste is disposed.

Industrial Waste Landfills: These landfills dispose of commercial and institutional waste.

Hazardous Waste Landfills: These facilities receive specialty waste that needs to be carefully handled because it has the potential to be harmful if not disposed properly.

Want to Know More?

Landfills have remained almost unchanged since their earliest known existence. In Ancient Greece, Minoan Cretans would dump waste into open pits and bury it later, this created an early version of a landfill. The first sanitary landfill that resembles today’s landfill, was created in 1937 in Fresno, California.

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Other Sources

“For Education.” Began with the Bin. http://beginwiththebin.org/resources/for-education. Accessed May 3, 2016.

Wallace, Bob. “US Landfill Disposal the Big Picture – WIH Resource Group.” WIH Resource Group. January 13, 2010. https://wihresourcegroup.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/us-landfill-disposal-the-big-picture-wih-resource-group/. Accessed May 10, 2016.

https://www.epa.gov/landfills/basic-information-about-landfills#whatis

The Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (or LEED) is a third-party certification program by the U. S. Green Building Council that sets the standard for the construction and operation of green buildings. Its goal is to promote the use of green building practices by distinguishing buildings that are designed with the highest levels of sustainability and existing structures that are maintained in a sustainable manner.

LEED was developed in 1993 by Robert K. Watson and included non-profit organizations, government agencies, architects, engineers, and other members of industry and business. The LEED standing committee formulated a consensus on what would be needed for a set standard in green construction. Between 1994 and 2006, LEED expanded their format into six standards that cover all parts of development and construction.

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Other Sources

“The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).” Environment and Ecology. http://environment-ecology.com/environment-and-architecture/81-the-leadership-in-energy-and-environmental-design-leed-.html. Accessed August 10, 2016.

Byloos, Matty. “The LEED Rating System and the U.S. Green.” LEED.net. http://www.leed.net/leed-construction-articles/leed-rating-system-usgbc.asp. Accessed August 10, 2016.

A low carbon economy is a system that aims to minimize its output of greenhouse gasses while functioning as a typical economic program. This structure has become the long-term goal of countries who are trying to reduce the effects of global warming. The move toward low-carbon economies began with the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, which called on nations to reduce their carbon emissions, and has continued with the Paris agreement in 2015.

The question that arises for policymakers is how they are going to be able to balance economic growth with reduced emissions. Many economists suggest the best course of action would be a gradual shift away from fossil fuels while putting a tax on carbon. That way consumers and businesses will have an incentive for changing their consumption behavior.

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Other Sources

Beinhocker, Eric and Jeremy Oppenheim. “Economic Opportunities in a Low-Carbon World. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. http://unfccc.int/press/news_room/newsletter/guest_column/items/4608.php. Accessed August 10, 2016.

Hodgson, Glen. “How to Define a Low Carbon future for Canada and the World.” The Conference Board of Canada. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/speech_oped/16-01-15/how_to_define_a_low-carbon_future_for_canada_and_the_world.aspx. Accessed August 10, 2016.

Definition

A location is how a business can be divided into different geographic regions. If your company has multiple buildings in different areas of town, or in different cities, each building can be considered its own separate location in the Resource Center.

Want to know more

By creating different locations, you can track and monitor the success of each location separately. Collecting unique data at each location allows you to compare diversion and recycling rates from each location. This gives you the opportunity to target your waste reduction strategy to each individual location !