The effects of solid waste on soil, air and water are as follows:

• Increased toxic loading on environment; leads to contaminated water/land, affects animal’s health.
• Ground-level ozone damages vegetation and ecosystem, affects animal health.
• Contributes to acid rain; may damage vegetation; causes offensive odors.
• In addition to its effect in the ozone layer, methane is also a highly combustible gas that may be responsible for various explosion hazards in and around landfills.
• If leachate does seep into groundwater, it can be the source of many contaminants, specifically organic compounds that may decrease the oxidation-reduction potential and increase the mobility of toxic metals.
• As land is claimed for landfills, it is no longer hospitable to many plants and wildlife. Often, this fertility cannot be completely reclaimed, even after the landfill is capped.

• When sitting a landfill, the following issues must be addressed (Phillips, 1998):

  i. Airport Safety: landfills attract birds, which can threaten aircraft.

  ii. Floodplains: if a landfill must be sited in a floodplain, extra steps must be taken to ensure that its contents will not flow from the site during a flood.

  iii. Wetlands: while wetlands should always be avoided when locating landfills, exceptions may be allowed if there is no alternative site in the area, and if the environmental impact is proven to be minimal.

  iv. Unstable Areas: landfills should not be sited in areas threatened by mudslides or other forms of earth movement.