> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wp.newgreendealcorp.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wp.newgreendealcorp.com/problem-statement/why-are-conventional-landfills-a-problem.md). # Why are conventional landfills a problem? Conventional landfills are not sustainable: the land on which many landfills sit is at a premium, landfills are not reusable for roughly 30 years or more, and they emit tons of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere every day. Landfills are designed to hide our garbage from public view, which unintentionally supports a lack of awareness and concern for the environmental damage wrought by these landfills. On average, Americans produce 1,609 lbs. of garbage per year per person, of which about half go to landfills. \[4] As these disposal sites inevitably approach fill limits, they demand increased attention, funding, and more land to build new landfills. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://wp.newgreendealcorp.com/problem-statement/why-are-conventional-landfills-a-problem.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.