Neal Bolton

By Neal Bolton

Remember that television commercial where the guy comes home from work and takes off his socks, then his dog comes over, smells the man’s socks, and keels over?

It’s funny as a commercial, but if your landfill customers come into the landfill, drive to the tipping area, take one whiff, and then keel over, you’ve got a problem. And I don’t think new socks will solve it.

Many landfills smell bad. People who come to landfills expect some odor. But every so often (or maybe quite often), loads come in that are exceptionally offensive. Such loads include dead animals, cannery waste, spoiled foodwaste, and sludge.

If you are an attentive landfill manager, you know that your job includes helping your landfill do its best in regard to performance and perception. Keep in mind that while most people don’t object to the landfill receiving these kinds of materials–and while they might not object to a little odor here and there–they’d really prefer that those loads be kept out of sight, out of smell, and out of mind.

Here are some ways to deal with offensive loads.

Require Prior Notice

Many landfills require prior notice from customers disposing of offensive loads. In fact, in a roundabout way, regulations that require certain types of offensive loads to be "buried immediately" have forced some landfills to require up to 24 hours’ notice. This allows the equipment operator adequate time to prepare for the load by digging a hole, stockpiling some cover soil, or otherwise getting ready to handle that nasty load as soon as it comes in.

Sometimes the prior-notice rule might have to bend. For example, I once worked at a landfill near a large shipping port. One day a representative from the port called and said an overseas container of frozen pork had somehow thawed while waiting at the dock–and could we take the load immediately? They were in a bind, and we were able to shift our schedule to take the load, no problem. In those cases, however, an additional charge would be reasonable.

Dump in a Separate Area

If your landfill regularly receives offensive loads, you might consider establishing a separate disposal area for them. If the offensive nature of the load is related to smell, dump them downwind of the regular tipping area. The key word here is downwind. But what if every potential dumping area is upwind of an adjacent residential or commercial area? Well, you have a problem. This is where prompt covering becomes essential. Get those smelly loads dumped, buried, and covered as quickly as possible.

You might also consider masking the loads with something that smells good. There are a variety of companies that sell odor-masking scents and devices to release them on queue or at regular intervals. One that I’ve seen (or rather smelled) uses a strong citrus (e.g., orange) scent. Do these things really work? Yes. But please use a little discretion. No matter how much perfume you pour on, you can’t carry around a dead fish in your pocket forever.

Offensive Loads Don’t Always Smell Bad

Sometimes the offensiveness of a load isn’t limited to smell. A load also could be visually offensive. Dead animals are a prime example. If your landfill accepts dead animals, you might be wise to dispose of those loads out of sight of your other customers, especially self-haul customers. Many people are repulsed by the presence of dead animals. To avoid complaints and negative PR, remember that out of sight is out of mind.

If there is a cannery located near your landfill, you might periodically receive loads of rejected canned goods. And although these loads might not smell or look bad, they can be a little more … personally offensive. Pushing and compacting these materials can make a big mess. In California it could be tomato sauce. Maybe it’s pineapple juice in Hawaii. Whatever it is, having it squirt all over your customers is not too cool.

As an enlightened, sensitive landfill manager, part of your job is to make your landfill user-friendly. So be sensitive, use good manners, and if you want to keep folks at your landfill happy, find ways to make those offensive loads a little less offensive.

Neal Bolton is a consultant specializing in landfill operations and management. He is principal of Blue Ridge Services in Atascadero, CA.

MSW - July/August 2002