If the wastes are not recycled, composted, or incinerated, they are deposited in a sanitary landfill. In Alabama the number of landfills with available space is decreasing. At the same time, the amount of municipal solid waste is increasing. That same year 93 percent of Alabama's wastes were landfilled. That amount is very high compared to the amount of solid wastes that were recycled, composted, or incinerated.
Sanitary landfills consist of a series of cells or sections.
Wastes are deposited on a certain area of one cell at a time. They are spread and compacted through the day. At the end of each day, a layer of soil about six inches thick is laid down and compacted over the wastes. This controls vermin and prevents fires from starting in the refuse pile. When a sanitary landfill is filled to capacity, it is covered with material of low permeability, such as clay soil, to keep rainwater out of the refuse.