Landfilling

We ensure a safe disposal of waste

“Only waste which cannot be reused and recycled is disposed at the sanitary landfill site in such a way that it does not harm our health and environment”

Despite all the efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced and treat the remaining waste, there will always be some residual waste to be disposed. Therefore, in compliance with high environmental standards of the European Union, Sherishte Landfill is constructed to dispose the residual waste of the Waste Zone North Vlora safely for the coming decades.

Before the construction of this sanitary landfill, the waste was disposed in uncontrolled dumpsites at numerous locations in the Waste Zone. With the operation start of the regional landfill in Sheriste, all these dumpsites will be closed. Dumpsites with major environmental impacts will be rehabilitated considering the EU regulations and the respective areas will be made available for further use. For instance, the pilot compost plant will be constructed at the location of the dumpsite of the Vlorё City after its rehabilitation.

The landfill receives mainly the residues of the Material Recovery Facility so that it is ensured that no waste which is not allowed to be landfilled is delivered to the landfill. The landfill operational staff ensures the emplacement of waste according to the plan and compacts it by a special machine. Thus, valuable landfill volume is saved and the lifetime of the landfill is prolonged.

In order to prevent windblown littering, bad odours, access of animals, the waste is regularly covered with soil.

The ground of the landfill is secured with different layers of material to ensure that no water running through the waste and thereby being concentrated also with contaminated substances, will get into the soil or groundwater. This leachate is collected and treated by the state-of-the-art method: Reverse Osmosis.

Organic matter which is disposed at the growing landfill decomposes and emits hazardous gases. It is expected that the landfill will produce a significant amount of gas in a few years after filling with waste. Then the landfill gas will be collected and burned in a flare in order to destroy methane which is a greenhouse gas. In the medium term, the utilisation in a gas engine for energy and heat generation will be assessed.

To ensure smooth operation, well trained staff is working at the landfill – in total more than 10 people, who are responsible for management, administration, at the entrance at the weighbridge, and the daily operation with machinery, for example compactors and bulldozers.

According to national regulations, the environmental impacts of the landfill during operation are continuously monitored and reported to the national authorities. They will continue to be monitored for at least 20 years after closure.