It is our duty to try and protect the environment whether it is by reducing the use of plastics or by planting more and more trees. One thing that we cannot control is the waste materials that get collected daily in the dustbin. Now, what to do when your dustbin is full of waste materials? And what happens when all the garbage that has been collected from different houses?
Well, the garbage and waste materials are either dumped or thrown in a landfill. You must have seen that the garbage truck collecting garbage in a huge quantity and they are the ones who throw them in a landfill or they dump them.
However, dump and landfill are not the same because there are some differences between the two. Often people tend to make the mistake of confusing between these two terms.
Dump vs Landfill
The main difference between dump and landfill is that both are excavated pieces of land but landfill is regulated by the government. Other than that one can find a liner at the bottom of the catch the liquid that has been produced by the solid waste whereas on the other hand, a dump does not have a liner at the bottom and there is no interference from the government.
Comparison Table Between Dump and Landfill
| Parameters of Comparison | Dump | Landfill |
| Meaning | A dump is an excavated piece of land that is used to store waste materials. | A landfill, on the other hand, is also an excavated piece of land but the land is controlled by the government. |
| Interference of Government | No interference of Government | The government controls landfill. |
| Liner at the bottom | A dump does not have a liner at the bottom. | A landfill, on the other hand, has got a liner at the bottom so that to collect liquid from the solid waste materials. |
| Covered With Mud or Soil | The dump may or may not be covered with mud or soil to prevent the bad smell released into the air. | Landfill is always covered by mud or soil so that to prevent the bad smell from spreading in the air. |
| Hazardous | Dumps can be dangerous for human health because dumps can be found anywhere. | Landfill also can create toxic gases from the waste materials that do not rot and can make the air and ground toxic. |
What is Dump?
A dump is a place or a piece of land where waste materials and garbage are stored. We all must have seen a dump in our life and saw how much garbage is produced daily. It is because of the large population that we are facing so much pollution.
Due to the increase in population more and more waste materials are produced daily and sanitisation workers do not know how and where to store heaps and heaps of waste materials and garbage.
So, dumps are excavated pieces of land where the garbage is thrown. Dumps can be found anywhere because most people empty their house dustbins directly into the dumps. Now, dumps must be handled carefully because too much and not giving attention to them can cause serious health issues to those people living nearby.
It is unhealthy to even live near a place where dumps are made because from dumps many diseases can spread. But, what steps must be taken to avoid the spreading of diseases. Well, to prevent the spread of diseases or the bad smell of rotting dumps can be covered with soil or mud.
Covering the dump with mud will prevent the bad smell of rotting and can also reduce the spread of diseases. The pests and insects will try to help decompose most of the waste materials but there are materials that do not decompose at all.
Those waste materials that do not decompose even after covering them with mud for a long period of time then they can create toxic gases spreading into the air and as well as the ground. Luckily, dumps do not have an in line for collecting liquid created by the solid materials. Otherwise more and more people would have become sick.
Unlike landfills, dumps are not controlled by the government and this is why most dumps remain unnoticed for a long period of time. The processing of the garbage does not happen. Dumps can be found in urban areas and also in rural areas. In most communities, there is a single dump common for all.
What is Landfill?
A landfill, on the other hand, is also an excavated piece of land where garbage and waste materials are thrown. Landfills are regulated and controlled by the government and they are huge. The waste materials and garbage is thrown in a landfill are covered by mud and soil so that to prevent the spreading of rotting smell into the open air.
Landfills are controlled by the government so there are steps taken by the government to make sure that landfills are covered with mud and soil and there is always someone who is taking care of it, unlike dumps.
Landfills also have liner at the bottom of the pit to prevent the liquid produced by solid materials enter the water supply. This is an excellent step taken so that the water supply remains unharmed by the garbage of landfills.
Main Difference Between Dump and Landfill
- Dumps and landfills are both an excavated pieces of land for the disposal of garbage.
- There is no interference of the Government for processing of dumps in an area.
- Landfills are controlled by a government.
- There is a liner at the bottom of a landfill whereas there is no liner at the bottom of a dump.
- A dump can either be covered with mud or it may not be covered but a landfill is always covered with soil or mud daily.
Conclusion
In the end the garbage and waste materials are causing harm to the nature and even to human beings. Not only the land is getting polluted but also the oceans and seas are getting polluted each day. There are factories whose waste materials are disposed directly in the ocean and seas.
So, it is the duty of each and every individual to make the environment clean and nature friendly.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344916301707
- https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/4_2011-SWR.pdf