Puente Hills Landfill

Ashley Chi
Landfills

Trash. It’s there in our lives, useless and odor-empowering. Our escape from this inescapable factor comes once a week in the form of large trucks. These trucks transfer our junk into their hull and whisk it away. 30 seconds later, it’s gone, and we never have to worry about it again. As we all know, buried deep in our minds, this is not the case.

Before sunrise each day, 60-ton bulldozers are already in formation, ready to turn piles of untouched edibles, plastic packaging, and all sorts of unwanted into a mush. This is the Puente Hills Landfill, a man-made mountain, sitting on a stretch land along the 60 Freeway, that contains one-third of Los Angeles’ trash. Storing garbage is a complicated process, not as easy as many of us think. Garbage isn’t simply just dumped on the ground, left to decompose by itself, as many of us would like to think. First, dirt is excavated, then sealed off using liners. Laser-equipped surveying devices are used to level off the trash, making sure that it blends into the surrounding environment. Finally, green waste is used to cover the trash, with the methane collected and converted into energy on-site. The entire process is actually more complex and eco-friendly than we usually give it credit for, and that’s only one of the illusions proved wrong.

Many people don’t consider the enormity and magnificence of the situation. When looked at from a different angle, the mounds of unwanted objects actually tell an engrossing tale. On the top of the pile, you’ll see beer cans and the remnants of TV dinners. Burrowed underneath are black-and-white console televisions resting beside tie-dyed shirts. Dare to go even further, and you’ll be rewarded with the pieces of shattered Thighmasters and disco records. What may look like piles of junk are actually reminders of Los Angeles’ past, an everlasting time capsule.

The landfill also serves as a reminder of our ignorance and laziness. Ten percent of all recyclables received are deemed invalid and end up being dumped, because people won’t bother to wash off leftover food from polystyrene foam containers. Additionally, some people throw away entire Christmas trees- lights, ornaments and plastic tree stands included. Ordinarily, the trees would be reused, but trees with non-recyclable material still attached have to be tossed.

In essence, the Puente Hills Landfill is not a dump. It’s a green, eco-friendly site that serves as a reminder of Los Angeles’ past, never to be forgotten, and a shout-out to the fact that our own laziness is just adding trash to the Earth.

Landfills: In A New Light
Engross Yourself In This

Trash. It’s there in our lives, useless and odor-empowering. Our escape from this inescapable factor comes once a week in the form of large trucks. These trucks transfer our junk into their hull and whisk it away. 30 [Thirty; spell out numbers if they begin a sentence] seconds later, it’s gone, and we never have to worry about it again. As we all know, buried deep in our minds, this is not the case.

Before sunrise each day, 60-ton bulldozers are already in formation, ready to turn piles of untouched edibles, plastic packaging, and all sorts of unwanted [insert noun] into a mush. This is the Puente Hills Landfill, a man-made mountain, sitting on a stretch land along the 60 Freeway, that contains one-third of Los Angeles’ trash. Storing garbage is a complicated process, not as easy as many of us think. Garbage isn’t simply just dumped on the ground, left to decompose by itself, as many of us would like to think. First, dirt is excavated, then sealed off using liners. Laser-equipped surveying devices are used to level off the trash, making sure that it blends into the surrounding environment. Finally, green waste is used to cover the trash, with the methane collected and converted into energy on-site. The entire process is actually more complex and eco-friendly than we usually give it credit for, and that’s only one of the illusions proved wrong.

Many people don’t consider the enormity and magnificence of the situation. When looked at from a different angle, the mounds of unwanted objects actually tell an engrossing tale. On the top of the pile, you’ll see beer cans and the remnants of TV dinners. Burrowed underneath are black-and-white console televisions resting beside tie-dyed shirts. Dare to go even further, and you’ll be rewarded with the pieces of shattered Thighmasters and disco records. What may look like piles of junk are actually reminders of Los Angeles’ past, an everlasting time capsule.

The landfill also serves as a reminder of our ignorance and laziness. Ten percent of all recyclables received are deemed invalid and end up being dumped, because people won’t bother to wash off leftover food from polystyrene foam containers. Additionally, some people throw away entire Christmas trees- lights, ornaments and plastic tree stands included. Ordinarily, the trees would be reused, but trees with non-recyclable material still attached have to be tossed.

In essence, the Puente Hills Landfill is not a dump. It’s a green, eco-friendly site that serves as a reminder of Los Angeles’ past, never to be forgotten, and a shout-out to the fact that our own laziness is just adding trash to the Earth.

‘
Looking for a place where you can discover the true history of Los Angeles’ past? Look no further than a stretch of land sitting along the 60 Freeway. Beer cans and the remnants of TV dinners make up the first layer. Burrowed underneath are black-and-white console televisions resting beside tie-dyed shirts. Dare to go even further, and you’ll be rewarded with the pieces of shattered Thighmasters and disco records. This is the Puente Hills Landfill, home to the forgotten and, in essence, an everlasting time capsule of the changes we’ve experienced in society.

Before sunrise each day, 60-ton bulldozers are already in formation, ready to turn piles of untouched edibles, plastic packaging, and all sorts of unwanted materials into a mush. Storing garbage is a complicated process, not as easy as many of us think. All we know is to sort the piles of the stuff into different colored bins, and once a week, a large truck comes by and whisks it away. There, we’re done! Unfortunately, the process isn’t as easy as we all would like to believe it to be.

First, dirt is excavated, then sealed off using liners. Laser-equipped surveying devices are used to level off the trash, making sure that it blends into the surrounding environment. Finally, green waste is used to cover the trash, with the methane collected and converted into energy on-site. The entire process is actually more complex and eco-friendly than we usually give it credit for, and that’s only one of the illusions proved wrong.

The other belief that trash just magically takes care of itself is also misleading. In fact, AHS’s AP Environmental Science teacher Ms. Stevens says that “sending things to the landfill is a failure of imagination [because]…there are much better ways to design products so they don’t have a one-way life cycle.” However, she exclaims that the “Puente Hills Landfill is probably among the best maintained landfills in the world,” as they have “essentially built a huge mountain with recreation trails on it and saved lots of space around the area as wildlife habitat.” Additionally, the landfill systems siphon off the methane and converts it to electricity. It is also equipped with incredibly well engineered lining systems and alert systems in case anything goes wrong.

The landfill also serves as a reminder of our ignorance and laziness. Ten percent of all recyclables received are deemed invalid and end up being dumped, because people won’t bother to wash off leftover food from polystyrene foam containers. Additionally, some people throw away entire Christmas trees- lights, ornaments and plastic tree stands included. Ordinarily, the trees would be reused, but trees with non-recyclable material still attached have to be tossed. [WILL ADD MORE HERE AS THE MAIN POINT OF THE ARTICLE]

The Puente Hills Landfill is not a dump. It’s a green, eco-friendly site that serves as a reminder of Los Angeles’ past, never to be forgotten, and a shout-out to the fact that our own laziness is just adding trash to the Earth.

Looking for a place where you can discover the true history of Los Angeles’ past? Look no further than a stretch of land sitting along the 60 Freeway. Beer cans and the remnants of TV dinners make up the first layer. Burrowed underneath are black-and-white console televisions resting beside tie-dyed shirts. Dare to go even further, and you’ll be rewarded with the pieces of shattered Thighmasters and disco records. This is the Puente Hills Landfill, home to the forgotten and, in essence, an everlasting time capsule of the changes we’ve experienced in society.

Before sunrise each day, 60-ton bulldozers are already in formation, ready to turn piles of untouched edibles, plastic packaging, and all sorts of unwanted materials into a mush. Storing garbage is a complicated process, not as easy as many of us think. All we know is to sort the piles of the stuff into different colored bins, and once a week, a large truck comes by and whisks it away. There, we’re done! Unfortunately, the process isn’t as easy as we all would like to believe it to be.

First, dirt is excavated, then sealed off using liners. Laser-equipped surveying devices are used to level off the trash, making sure that it blends into the surrounding environment. Finally, green waste is used to cover the trash, with the methane collected and converted into energy on-site. The entire process is actually more complex and eco-friendly than we usually give it credit for, and that’s only one of the illusions proved wrong.

The other belief that trash just magically takes care of itself is also misleading. In fact, AHS’s AP Environmental Science teacher Ms. Joan Stevens says that “sending things to the landfill is a failure of imagination [because]…there are much better ways to design products so they don’t have a one-way life cycle.” However, she exclaims that the “Puente Hills Landfill is probably among the best maintained landfills in the world,” as they have “essentially built a huge mountain with recreation trails on it and saved lots of space around the area as wildlife habitat.” Additionally, the landfill systems siphon off the methane and convert it to electricity. It is also equipped with incredibly well-engineered lining systems and alert systems in case anything goes wrong.

The landfill also serves as a reminder of our ignorance and laziness. Ten percent of all recyclables received are deemed invalid and end up being dumped. Ms. Stevens reinforces that we should “keep our recycling and E-waste out as well. Think about excess packaging when you buy stuff.” As evidence to our laziness, some people threw away entire Christmas trees- lights, ornaments and plastic tree stands included- after the holiday season. Ordinarily, the trees would be reused, but trees with non-recyclable material still attached have to be tossed. Ms. Stevens adds, “The best thing we can do is keep our organic matter out of the trash, [because] everyone can compost!”

The Puente Hills Landfill is a green, eco-friendly site that serves as a reminder of Los Angeles’ past, never to be forgotten, and a shout-out to the fact that our own laziness is just adding trash to the Earth. Freshman Josephine Troung sums it up when she says, “We should use things to the greatest extent [so that] we can slow down the rate of landfills growing… to protect natural habitats.”

Looking for a place where you can discover the true history of Los Angeles’ past? Look no further than a stretch of land sitting along the 60 Freeway. Beer cans and the remnants of TV dinners make up the first layer. Burrowed underneath are black-and-white console televisions resting beside tie-dyed shirts. Dare to go even further, and you’ll be rewarded with the pieces of shattered Thighmasters and disco records. This is the Puente Hills Landfill, home to the forgotten and, in essence, an everlasting time capsule of the changes we’ve experienced in society.

Before sunrise each day, 60-ton bulldozers are already in formation, ready to turn piles of untouched edibles, plastic packaging, and all sorts of unwanted materials into a mush. Storing garbage is a complicated process, not as easy as many of us think. All we know is to sort the piles of the stuff into different colored bins, and once a week, a large truck comes by and whisks it away. There, we’re done! Unfortunately, the process isn’t as easy as we all would like to believe it to be.

First, dirt is excavated, then sealed off using liners. Laser-equipped surveying devices are used to level off the trash, making sure that it blends into the surrounding environment. Finally, green waste is used to cover the trash, with the methane collected and converted into energy on-site. The entire process is actually more complex and eco-friendly than we usually give it credit for, and that’s only one of the illusions proved wrong.

The other belief that trash just magically takes care of itself is also misleading. In fact, AHS’s AP Environmental Science teacher Ms. Joan Stevens says that “sending things to the landfill is a failure of imagination [because]…there are much better ways to design products so they don’t have a one-way life cycle.” However, she exclaims that the “Puente Hills Landfill is probably among the best maintained landfills in the world,” as they have “essentially built a huge mountain with recreation trails on it and saved lots of space around the area as wildlife habitat.” Additionally, the landfill systems siphon off the methane and convert it to electricity. It is also equipped with incredibly well-engineered lining systems and alert systems in case anything goes wrong.

The landfill also serves as a reminder of our ignorance and laziness. Ten percent of all recyclables received are deemed invalid and end up being dumped. Ms. Stevens reinforces that we should “keep our recycling and E-waste out as well. Think [change to: out... [and] think] about excess packaging when you [we] buy stuff.” As evidence to our laziness, some people threw away entire Christmas trees- lights, ornaments and plastic tree stands included- after the holiday season. Ordinarily, the trees would be reused, but trees with non-recyclable material still attached have to be tossed. Ms. Stevens adds, “The best thing we can do is keep our organic matter out of the trash, [because] everyone can compost!”

The Puente Hills Landfill is a green, eco-friendly site that serves as a reminder of Los Angeles’ past, never to be forgotten, and a shout-out to the fact that our own laziness is just adding trash to the Earth. Freshman Josephine Troung sums it up when she says, “We should use things to the greatest extent [so that] we can slow down the rate of landfills growing… to protect natural habitats.”

FINAL

Looking for a place where you can discover the true history of Los Angeles’ past? Look no further than a stretch of land sitting along the 60 Freeway. Beer cans and the remnants of TV dinners make up the first layer. Burrowed underneath are black-and-white console televisions resting beside tie-dyed shirts. Dare to go even further, and you’ll be rewarded with the pieces of shattered Thighmasters and disco records. This is the Puente Hills Landfill, home to the forgotten and, in essence, an everlasting time capsule of the changes we’ve experienced in society.

Before sunrise each day, 60-ton bulldozers are already in formation, ready to turn piles of untouched edibles, plastic packaging, and all sorts of unwanted materials into a mush. Storing garbage is a complicated process, not as easy as many of us think. All we know is to sort the piles of the stuff into different colored bins, and once a week, a large truck comes by and whisks it away. There, we’re done! Unfortunately, the process isn’t as easy as we all would like to believe it to be.

First, dirt is excavated, then sealed off using liners. Laser-equipped surveying devices are used to level off the trash, making sure that it blends into the surrounding environment. Finally, green waste is used to cover the trash, with the methane collected and converted into energy on-site. The entire process is actually more complex and eco-friendly than we usually give it credit for, and that’s only one of the illusions proved wrong.

The other belief that trash just magically takes care of itself is also misleading. In fact, AHS’s AP Environmental Science teacher Ms. Joan Stevens says that “sending things to the landfill is a failure of imagination [because]…there are much better ways to design products so they don’t have a one-way life cycle.” However, she exclaims that the “Puente Hills Landfill is probably among the best maintained landfills in the world,” as they have “essentially built a huge mountain with recreation trails on it and saved lots of space around the area as wildlife habitat.” Additionally, the landfill systems siphon off the methane and convert it to electricity. It is also equipped with incredibly well-engineered lining systems and alert systems in case anything goes wrong. Sophomore Michelle Che says, “[because] wildlife areas [were added] and there are now recreational trails, there [are] better sides to this landfill.”

The landfill also serves as a reminder of our ignorance and laziness. Ten percent of all recyclables received are deemed invalid and end up being dumped. Ms. Stevens reinforces that we should “keep our recycling and E-waste out as well. Think about excess packaging when you buy stuff.” Freshman Jeffrey Wu agrees, saying that we should “recycle…and use reusable [and] eco-friendly products.” As evidence to our laziness, some people threw away entire Christmas trees- lights, ornaments and plastic tree stands included- after the holiday season. Ordinarily, the trees would be reused, but trees with non-recyclable material still attached have to be tossed. Ms. Stevens adds, “The best thing we can do is keep our organic matter out of the trash, [because] everyone can compost!”

The Puente Hills Landfill is a green, eco-friendly site that serves as a reminder of Los Angeles’ past, never to be forgotten, and a shout-out to the fact that our own laziness is just adding trash to the Earth. Freshman Josephine Truong sums it up when she says, “We should use things to the greatest extent [so that] we can slow down the rate of landfills growing… to protect natural habitats.”