Progress in Sanitary Landfill Technology and Regulations in Japan: a Review

Abstract

The Japanese guideline for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill was revised for the first time in nearly 10 years. This permitted the introduction of various changes in the philosophy associated with municipal solid waste (MSW) management. The focal points of the revision were a review of the criteria for site design and operation prescribed in the old version, and supplemented with details of new technologies and experiences in sanitary landfill accumulated in the past decade. However, there still remain several ambiguous issues to be resolved. These include geotechnical parameters of fill materials, stability analysis of embankment and fill materials, selection criteria for lining materials, quality assurance and quality control of liner installation, prediction of quality and quantity of leachate, appropriate design of leachate lagoons, and monitoring and treatment of groundwater contamination near to waste landfill sites. Of particular concern is a development of cost-effective land disposal technology for MSW incinerator ashes and flue gas cleaning residues.