Ever wonder how a landfill works? Despite common wisdom, it's not like a "dump" at all. It's more like a carefully designed, scientifically based brick-and-mortar system.
A "dump" is an open hole in the ground where trash is buried, attracting various animals (rats, mice and birds). Dumps are illegal in Kansas for health and environmental reasons. Unfortunately, this is many people's idea of a landfill. A landfill is actually a deliberately planned structure built into or on top of the ground.
Bottom liners and daily soil covering ensure trash is isolated from groundwater, will be kept dry and will not come in contact with air. Under these conditions, trash won't decompose much (the opposite of a compost pile). This is why, theoretically, you could dig up a 50 year-old landfill and still be able to read the newspapers buried there.
Have you ever wanted to see how a landfill works? Now you can view a diagram of a landfill. Watch for how the "cells" of trash form a brick-and-mortar system. This keeps the trash as fresh as possible and discourages impurity or contamination.
