Landfill odour control

A landfill site is an area of land that has been used to dispose of all kinds of household and commercial waste. It’s either done directly onto the land itself, or it’s used to fill an unwanted hole in the ground. This might be a result of former industrial activity such as quarrying.

Landfill is tightly regulated, and businesses and organisations that use landfill to dispose of their waste are subject to landfill taxes. Increasingly, domestic waste is recycled, with the bulk of landfill now being made up of commercial waste. Once a landfill has been filled it stops taking waste. It’s then capped and restored to help avoid harmful effects from historic landfill sites becoming a problem in the local environment.

Disposing of waste in landfill has an impact on the local environment, not least when it comes to odour. Controlling these odours is vital. Left unchecked they may become a nuisance and a potential health hazard for local residents, businesses and those who work or visit the site.

Why might a landfill site produce odours?

Organic waste in landfill produces bacteria which aids in the breaking down of rubbish. This produces weak acidic chemicals which then combine with liquids in the waste to form landfill gas and a liquid called leachate, which can be damaging to any nearby streams and rivers if not dealt with properly.

Landfill gas is made up of carbon dioxide, methane and small amounts of other gases that together create a sickly, sweet smell. Methane is flammable and can cause explosions. A single ton of degradable rubbish can produce between 400-500 cubic metres of landfill gas. As a result, it’s essential that the gas emissions from landfill sites are monitored and managed.

Controlling landfill odours

Landfill operators are required to control the level of odours that are emitted from their sites. This can be done via a range of landfill odour control measures.

Gas-phase emission control systems can reduce harmful gas emissions and control nuisance odours. Odour and emission control systems reduce the level of air pollution using multiple types of filtration systems which are specifically designed to suit the requirements of the site.

At Exeon, our systems include activated carbon treatment, wet scrubbers and bio-filters.

Expert advice, innovative design and experience

At Exeon, we are experienced in providing effective, front-line odour control systems for a wide range of installations. We work with landfill site operators to ensure that odours and gas are managed effectively, reducing the nuisance and health risks to local people and site staff, while ensuring operators meet their regulatory requirements.

We are a family company that works across a wide range of industry sectors designing bespoke solutions that deliver the required results.

If you’re a landfill operator looking for an effective and reliable odour control system for your site, then contact the professional team at Exeon today.

Call 01462 410010 or contact us online to find out more.