The 1970s ushered in the era of consumption, unprecedented consumerism rapidly developed, consumption became an individual phenomenon through which people could distinguish. Landfills were necessary to dispose of the growing waste produced by households. Traditional landfills built in the 1970s had no engineering or lining preparation and toxic leachate was found to have implications leading to contamination of groundwater and surface water. Although the type of waste disposed of is not as polluting as modern waste types which have become more toxic with chemicals, rubber, heavy metals, toxic materials found in batteries, medicines and plastics. A major problem with landfills is leachate, rain. seeps through the cover and flows into the garbage. When water and waste are mixed, it creates a toxic solution called leachate which contains all the toxins found in the waste. The leachate containing the poisons seeps into the waste and forms a pool at the bottom. This contaminated groundwater and surface water and could end up in drinking water. Due to leachate, the main problem is to keep landfills away from places where groundwater is very close to the surface, rivers, streams or wetlands. Sanitary landfilling began in the United States with the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1994. Operating landfills are required to control the amount of toxins and hazardous materials that they generate. European legislation Council Directive 99/31/EC Landfill Directive aimed at reducing the adverse effects of landfilled waste on the environment, in particular on surface water, groundwater and soil. , air and human health. Member states were...... middle of paper...... The Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC contains strict legislation controlling emissions from incineration. One ton of municipal solid waste produces 650 kWh of electricity. A plant processing 400,000 tonnes of waste can produce enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. Additionally, harvesting heat from the factory and providing it to communities through a heating system will increase the factory's energy efficiency by up to 80%. The conventional power plant has an efficiency of 35%. Commercial incineration of municipal waste began in 2011 at Indaver Carranstown Meath and is licensed to process 0.2 Mt per year. The EPA granted licenses for commercial incinerators in Ringaskiddy Cork and Poolbeg Dublin which were stopped after local objections, resulting in a €95 million demolition and €81 million respectively spent on land purchases and consultant fees..