Title: Municipal Solid Waste: What is It and Why is It a Problem? | Conservation Law Foundation
Headings: Municipal Solid Waste: What is It and Why is It a Problem?
Municipal Solid Waste: What is It and Why is It a Problem?
Hint: There’s too much of it, it’s toxic, and it hurts our health and environment
Our Trash Is a Problem and Here’s Why

Content: Burning produces toxic air pollution. Incinerators produce both ash that is deposited in landfills and ultra-fine particulate matter that enters the air after escaping pollution control technology. Incinerators emit toxins such as VOCs, heavy metals, dioxins, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, mercury, carbon dioxide, and furans into the air. Any contaminants captured by the air pollution control measures end up in the incinerator ash. That ash is then buried in landfills, which brings us back to the leaky liner problem above. All those contaminants are linked to cancer and more. Dioxins, for example, are a class of carcinogen for which there is no safe exposure level. Heavy metals are dangerous at very low levels and create myriad health problems such as heart and lung disease, developmental delays, respiratory problems, as well as brain, kidney, liver, and nervous system damage. Recycling programs would help, but access is limited. About 40% of Massachusetts residents do not have access to municipal recycling programs, and the recycling regulations that we do have are not enforced.