2. A secure landfill is a carefully engineered depression in the ground into which wastes are put. The aim is to avoid any connection between the wastes and the surrounding environment, particularly groundwater. There are four critical elements in a secure landfill: The hydrogeologic setting, which keeps the wastes from escaping The bottom liner, which separates the waste from the groundwater The leachate collection system, which is where the extremely contaminated water is collected and hopefully kept form the city's water supply The cover, which keeps the landfill from spilling over.

3. The average American discards 4.34 pounds of garbage every day (EPA Facts and Figures). The total volume of solid waste produced in the U.S. each year is equal to the weight of 247,000 space shuttles, or 2.3 million Boeing 747 jumbo jets (“Size of the United States Solid Waste Industry,” R.W. Beck, Inc. 2001). If we put all of the solid waste collected in the U.S. in a line of average garbage trucks, that line of trucks could cross the country, extending from New York City to Los Angeles, more than 100 times (Beck). The U.S. has 3,091 active landfills and over 10,000 old municipal landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

4. Changes in the landscape and visual discomfort Air pollution Pollution of surface waters Changes in soil fertility as well as in the composition of the adjoining ecological communities.

5. The amount of waste produced can vary depending on the choices we make. Prevention This is where we need to start. And in order to prevent waste in our lives, we have to reduce what we buy and consume Minimize After preventing waste from being made, look at minimizing the waste you create. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle