Recycling bank

Landfill sites

If items are thrown into the general rubbish, they usually end up in landfill sites.
A small proportion of general rubbish is burnt to create hot water and electricity in combined heat and power stations but most goes to landfill.

The rubbish in landfill sites is wrapped up to prevent dangerous chemicals leaking out and contaminating water supplies and the surrounding ground. The wrapping also encourages the contents to decompose.

Some materials (food, paper, clothing) will decompose quickly. Other materials (plastics, steel) can take hundreds of years to break down and some materials (glass, pottery) will never decompose. Landfill sites take up space that make the area difficult to build on. They make the area unsuitable for building on, as the ground will move as things decompose and harmful substances will be in the ground.The Ireland is running out of places to put landfill sites so recycling is becoming increasingly important.