Leachate Recycle as Landfill Management Option

Leachate production from shredded municipal soil wastes and its stabilization and associated gas production monitored over a 699-day test period have indicated that once leachate is generated and recycled, rapid conversion of readily available organic constituents occurs. The landfill thereby serves as an anaerobic biochemical stabilization process which promotes sequential conversion of complex materials through intermediates to final end products. The overall results indicate that leachate recycle will enhance predictability and accelerate stabilization of readily available organic constituents with increased rates of gas production. Decreasing the time required for stabilization to a matter of months rather than years provides attractive alternatives for better operational control, energy recovery and rapid realization of potentials for land reclamation and ultimate use without some of the uncertainties associated with conventional landfill management practices.