New Waste Cells: Drysdale Landfill

Location: Victoria

Country: Australia

Client: City of Greater Geelong

Services Provided: Design, Optimisation Study, Lifecycle Cost Analysis

Meinhardt designed two new waste cells for the City of Greater Geelong’s Drysdale Landfill, which will allow this growing region to continue to effectively manage its municipal solid waste in an environmentally responsible manner. The two new cells provide approximately 1,750,000 m3 of additional airspace and expand the life of the landfill.

A lifecycle cost analysis was undertaken with the development of an optimal liner solution, which through the use of a Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL) has delivered a 50% reduction in the overall thickness of the liner. This has created additional 50,000 m3 airspace meaning more revenue for the client; they receive approximately $90 per cubic metre of waste disposed.

Council are also spared the cost of transferring the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to another landfill site as well as additional fees for disposal.

The installation of the Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCL) solution is easier and quicker than the traditional CCL, hence, construction time is shortened.

Overall, the analysis identified that this option would save COGG approximately $900,000, while also extending the life of the landfill by providing more airspace. By providing more airspace, the design also provides less impact on the environment via lower greenhouse emission due to the transfer of waste (via semi-trailers) to other regional sites being postponed.