Great Things With Garbage
The landfill is also an innovator in the use of asphalt made from discarded tires. "Approximately 3,000 Ohio tires were used to make the turning lanes in front of the landfill," according to Paulie Shaffer, Environmental Educator for the Wood County Solid Waste Management District. "This is actually the first turning lane that was made from ground tire rubber asphalt." The benefits of this type of asphalt are greater than simply a means to dispose of tires, explains Shaffer. "The road will stay blacker longer which will provide better visibility to drivers, and it will also help to melt snow quicker and vehicles will ride quieter on the road".
Shaffer's job involves educating the public about the operation of the county landfill. One of her more interesting methods involves constructing an edible landfill. "The edible landfill is a great way for children to learn how a landfill is built. Different food items such as OreoÌs, Twizzlers, and M&M's are used to make the different layers that make up a landfill," explains Shaffer, "and in the end the students are able to eat their model."
The model helps show the techniques and technologies used at the landfill. Trash is not simply dumped and buried under rocks and dirt. A bottom liner system, represented in the edible-landfill by a fruit roll-up, prevents any of the refuse from reaching groundwater. The landfill also has a leachate (water that has filtered through the landfill) collection system and a methane gas collection system - represented in the edible model by red liquorice.
Helpful educational services and responsible disposal systems are two of the services provided by the Wood County Solid Waste District.