landfill

While wind energy is marketed as the future's green energy solution, turbines last only about 20 years, and disposing of their behemoth fiberglass blades is both complicated and costly.

It's almost as tall as the Taj Mahal. It smolders and festers. And it's a source of income for slum dwellers nearby.

The engineer views a landfill as a living ecosystem, and the plastic that clogs it as a serious threat that crowds out life and never goes away. Can we eliminate the waste before it smothers us?

Even before Maria hit, most of the island's landfills were filled beyond capacity and nearly half had EPA closure orders. The storm generated millions of cubic yards of waste and debris.

There's no barrier between the underground chemical reaction and nearby radioactive waste. Federal, state and local officials disagree about the danger it poses; residents are confused and concerned.

Many Americans now have access to a commingled recycling system, which lets users mix plastic, glass, paper and metal together in one bin. It's much easier, but not nearly as efficient.