While landfills may not be the first thing that comes to mind when a person thinks about the birth of civilization, these areas existed in the earliest days of humans living, growing food and doing business together.
The earliest recorded landfill was in Knossos, Crete, around 3,000 BCE, where ancient Minoans buried refuse in large pits covered with dirt. In contrast, the first modern sanitary landfill is considered to be the Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill, opened in Fresno, Calif., in 1937. This landfill is considered the first modern, sanitary landfill, featuring trenching, waste compaction and daily covering with soil to prevent environmental pollution
A living ecosystem on its own, a landfill requires expert care. The people and the machines that manage landfill's space have evolved to expertly maneuver waste and support a growing population. As we in the industry consider what's next, first we should remind ourselves how managing a landfill is much different than managing a dirt work project.
Landfills Create Complex Ecosystems
Unlike dirt, which is homogenous and behaves more predictably than waste, landfills are volatile. They contain organic material. They produce methane through aerobic or anaerobic digestion of organic material. They expand, contract and can pose real safety risks. Landfills are full of unpredictable waste — from tires and mattresses to lithium batteries that can ignite under pressure.
Despite these risks, many operators still rely on instinct over data and machine control. Many operators say they can feel accurate and safe compaction in the seat of their pants, but why risk potential hazards or lost revenue? Let's reinforce every operator's experiential knowledge with technological solutions that can save time, fuel and airspace.
Digital Tools Plus ‘Gut Feelings'
Technology, data sets and machine control can aid landfill managers' "gut feeling" which can only be learned through the experience of managing a crucial part of any American city, as important as efficient power transmission or clean water infrastructure. And in the landfill business, airspace is everything.
Airspace, or the total permitted volume of space available for the disposal of municipal solid waste and its related cover materials, can be maximized through accurate compaction despite the unique challenges of dealing with organic and non-organic matter. That's why RDO Equipment Co. technology managers recommend landfill-specific technology solutions over repurposed GPS dirt system.
"We can't adhere to the status quo of yesteryear when we in the industry recognize the need to maximize the airspace landfills currently must serve our growing communities' needs," RDO said. "Landfill technology solutions shouldn't be considered bells and whistles but as a tool to do these vital jobs better. A regional waste manager who manages a large landfill near Billings, Mont., knows that machine control and monitoring technology work without extra wear and tear on compactors."
"Carlson Landfill Grade gives us everything we need to know about compaction and what we're doing all day long on that pile," said Bart Twitchell, the Billings Landfill manager at the time in the video below. "Operators know exactly where they are and where they need to go. It tells them exactly where and when they've done enough compaction, so they can move and go somewhere else."
The Carlson Landfill System is a closed loop ecosphere. It harvests landfill data in real time every second. Operators see exactly where they're compacting, managers can recognize insights for data-informed daily decisions and engineers review airspace capacity on a more regular basis, allowing for more proactive solutions.
Carlson Landfill Grade and RDO: Ready to Respond
When working in a living ecosystem, landfill professionals want the ability to respond in real-time. Carlson Landfill Grade technology and trusted equipment technology partners like RDO can provide a real-time grading and compaction control and monitoring system to optimize operations. Carlson Landfill Grade provides real-time landfill compaction information to machine operators using global positioning and highly accurate onboard sensors. These sensors send data to an in-cab display that creates a visualization of compaction levels, including pass counts and vertical deflection.
By showing compaction progress in real time, an operator can be confident in their compactor's performance without reducing machine burden and vastly improving operator efficiency. Carlson Landfill Grade plus machine control eliminates the guesswork from the seat of the cab, preventing potential overfilling and damage to gas wells or eliminating sliver fills.
Whether you're a public works director, operations manager or landfill engineer, it may be time to rethink how we manage landfills. in 2025, technology integrates into every industry, mining, farming, manufacturing and yes, America's landfills. Carlson software for Landfills, backed by the RDO team, delivers the right technology to dramatically improve site safety, operator efficiency and overall profitability, according to the company.
With real-time data, better compaction and smarter operations, we can extend landfill lifespans, reduce environmental impact and make better use of every cu. yd. of airspace.
