Compacting trucks assemble the latest delivery to L.A.'s Puente Hills Landfill, the largest rubbish dump in America. Despite surface appearances, Puente Hills is considered one of the most state-of-the-art landfills in the world. Some aren't so well maintained.
Landfills around the world: L.A., California —
Compacting trucks assemble the latest delivery to L.A.'s Puente Hills Landfill, the largest rubbish dump in America. Despite surface appearances, Puente Hills is considered one of the most state-of-the-art landfills in the world. Some aren't so well maintained.
Cambodians work late into the night recycling garbage as fires burn at the local garbage dump. Many children work part time in the dump to help support their families while attending school during the day.
Siem Reap, Cambodia —
Cambodians work late into the night recycling garbage as fires burn at the local garbage dump. Many children work part time in the dump to help support their families while attending school during the day.
A worker packs recyclable bottles at a dump in the city of Changde in Hunan Province in southeastern China. China has increased efforts to recycle of waste materials as part its efforts to reduce pollution and protect limited natural resources.
Changde, China —
A worker packs recyclable bottles at a dump in the city of Changde in Hunan Province in southeastern China. China has increased efforts to recycle of waste materials as part its efforts to reduce pollution and protect limited natural resources.
A man soaps himself on a dump after a day's work in Lagos. Olusosun Landfill Site is Nigeria's largest rubbish dump dealing with 2,400 metric tons of rubbish every day. A whole community lives on the dump, collecting scrap to trade for cash.
Lagos, Nigeria —
A man soaps himself on a dump after a day's work in Lagos. Olusosun Landfill Site is Nigeria's largest rubbish dump dealing with 2,400 metric tons of rubbish every day. A whole community lives on the dump, collecting scrap to trade for cash.
Eleven-year-old Nung, stands on the mountain of rubbish where she will collect plastic, at the Bantar Gebang landfill site, one of Jakarta's biggest dump sites. Around 6,000 metric tons of garbage is dumped daily at the landfill site, which will continue for the next 20 years, following the renewal of the site's contract in 2009.
Jakarta, Indonesia —
Eleven-year-old Nung, stands on the mountain of rubbish where she will collect plastic, at the Bantar Gebang landfill site, one of Jakarta's biggest dump sites. Around 6,000 metric tons of garbage is dumped daily at the landfill site, which will continue for the next 20 years, following the renewal of the site's contract in 2009.
Men walk past a huge mound of garbage, piled up along the southern coastal Lebanese city of Sidon in 2008. 'Sidon's mountain' is an immense landfill that dumps its trash into the Mediterranean, polluting the coast of the ancient Phoenician port city. The dump is just a few metres away from the tourist sites of the southern city of Sidon -- its crusader sea castle, ancient vaulted souk and Phoenician temple.
Sidon, Lebanon —
Men walk past a huge mound of garbage, piled up along the southern coastal Lebanese city of Sidon in 2008. 'Sidon's mountain' is an immense landfill that dumps its trash into the Mediterranean, polluting the coast of the ancient Phoenician port city. The dump is just a few metres away from the tourist sites of the southern city of Sidon -- its crusader sea castle, ancient vaulted souk and Phoenician temple.
"Rag pickers" wait as a truck delivers garbage at the 70-acre Ghazipur Landfill site. They will sort through it picking out recyclable materials to sell. Delhi is estimated to have between 80,000 and 100,000 rag pickers who remove around 1,200-1,500 tons of trash from the municipal disposal chain each day. These activities, carried out in an ad-hoc way have unfavourable environmental, occupational health and community health implications.
New Delhi, India —
"Rag pickers" wait as a truck delivers garbage at the 70-acre Ghazipur Landfill site. They will sort through it picking out recyclable materials to sell. Delhi is estimated to have between 80,000 and 100,000 rag pickers who remove around 1,200-1,500 tons of trash from the municipal disposal chain each day. These activities, carried out in an ad-hoc way have unfavourable environmental, occupational health and community health implications.
A scavenger classifies refuse in front of a pile of compacted bales of plastic bottles at the Bordo Poniente garbage dump in Mexico City. Some 6,000 tons of garbage from the second world's most populated city was deposited here daily for about 25 years until it was closed by the government in December 2011. The dump was considered one of the main sources of greenhouse gases in Mexico.
Mexico City, Mexico —
A scavenger classifies refuse in front of a pile of compacted bales of plastic bottles at the Bordo Poniente garbage dump in Mexico City. Some 6,000 tons of garbage from the second world's most populated city was deposited here daily for about 25 years until it was closed by the government in December 2011. The dump was considered one of the main sources of greenhouse gases in Mexico.
A Peruvian schoolboy smiles for the camera as he stands in a garbage dump -- one of Latin America's largest -- in the Villa el Salvador district on the outskirts of Lima.
Lima, Peru —
A Peruvian schoolboy smiles for the camera as he stands in a garbage dump -- one of Latin America's largest -- in the Villa el Salvador district on the outskirts of Lima.
Children and adults scavenge for recyclables and other usable items around a garbage truck at the Trutier dump on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, on March 7, 2012 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Following the devastating earthquake two years ago that killed an estimated 316,000 people, the number of scavengers at the landfill has grown from about 200 to an estimated 2,000.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti —
Children and adults scavenge for recyclables and other usable items around a garbage truck at the Trutier dump on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, on March 7, 2012 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Following the devastating earthquake two years ago that killed an estimated 316,000 people, the number of scavengers at the landfill has grown from about 200 to an estimated 2,000.