The first concept created to avoid this dilemma with waste was to build landfills; this quick fix ended up doing more harm than help. Landfills cause harm to the environment and humans because they emit copious amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas (“The Truth,” 2007). The second plan implemented included the use of incinerators. Although the use of incinerators, or a waste burning apparatus, originally seemed like a beneficial way to manage the waste produced, it is actually harmful. The areas surrounding incinerators are of concern due to the toxic and harmful emissions of these machines (Schenker, 2014). Landfills and incinerators were designed to solve the problem Americans had with an abundance of waste, but they only created another problem that recycling could handle better. The US may not be the only country without mandatory recycling, but this shows that countries that have some form of recycling regulation are better off than those that don't.