Stretching for hundreds of miles, and possibly the size of Texas, the giant migrating mass also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex can be seen in patches floating along the Pacific Ocean.
Mexico City’s largest landfill was accepting 12,000 tons of garbage a day before its closure at the end of 2011. Surprisingly, garbage is still being dumped there since no plans were made for an alternative dumping site. Mexican officials are still searching for solutions.
(Photo: Yuri Cortez/Getty Images)
Fresh Kills Landfill, New York
Opened in 1947 as a temporary landfill, Fresh Kills was once the world’s largest man-made structure. With over 150 million tons of waste, it was shutdown in 2001 after receiving an unexpected deposit—rubble from the World Trade Center.
(Photo: New York Daily News/Getty Images)
Lagos Dump, Nigeria
The dump in Lagos takes in almost 10,000 tons of solid waste daily and a considerable amount of electronic-waste (e-waste) from the 500 container ships that dump on its grounds monthly. Chemically-stripping e-waste for precious metals produces toxic fumes.
(Photo: George Esiri/Reuters)
Apex Regional Landfill, Las Vegas, Nevada
The 9,000 tons of waste Sin City produces each and every day ends up at Apex Regional Landfill. The landfill currently holds 50 million tons of waste and is predicted to hold a billion tons by the time it is closed.
Since opening in 1992, Sudokwon Landfill has collected 88 million tons of waste. It averages 20,000 tons of waste a day and 6.3 million tons per year.
(Photo: Jo Yong Hak/Reuters)
Puente Hills Landfill, Los Angeles, California
Covering roughly 700 acres and towering almost 500 feet high, Los Angeles’ largest landfill, Puente Hills, takes in 12,000 tons of garbage a day and currently holds 3.7 million tons.
