Waste material that isn't be reused, recycled or converted to energy typically ends up buried in the ground. These large holes in the land being filled with waste are known as ... yes, you guessed it... 'landfill sites'.
In England alone around 46 million tonnes of the total 187 million tonnes of waste generated annually goes to landfill. In other words 25% or 1/4 of all waste is landfilled. Although this tonnage is almost 50% less than the figure in 2000, it's still pretty depressing. In fact, it is equivalent to a whopping 2 tonnes of waste sent to landfill per household 🙁
Running a landfill requires a permit from the Environment Agency. The maps below show every permitted landfill site registered with the Environment Agencies in the UK. There are a total of 574 landfill sites. You can use our interactive map to find the nearest site to you or simply gaze in wonder at the static map and appreciate just how much further we have to go in terms of creating a circular environment.
Interactive Map UK Landfill
source: LoveJunk 2024 using data published by Environment Agency
