Landfills are the oldest known method of waste disposal. Waste is buried in large dug out pits (unless naturally occurring locations are available) and covered. Bacteria and archaea decompose the waste over several decades producing several by-products of importance, including methane gas (natural gas), leachate, and volatile organic compounds (such as hydrogen sulfide (HS), NO, etc.).
Methane gas, a strong greenhouse gas, can build up inside the landfill leading to an explosion unless released from the cell. Leachate are fluid metabolic products from decomposition and contain various types of toxins and dissolved metallic ions. If leachate escapes into the ground water it can cause health problems in both animals and plants. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are associated with causing smog and acid rain. With the increasing amount of waste produced, appropriate places to safely store it have become difficult to find.