So what happens to leftover trash?
After going through the process in the SMaRT station, the trash that’s left over gets shipped away to landfill, where it stays. Landfills remain in operation until they reach their capacity or are shut down by the city they are in. Once out of operation, landfills are buried with dirt for the final time and then are converted to usable property for parks or businesses (once they are deemed safe for the public). An example of this would be Shoreline, in Mountain View, California, which was once a landfill.
Problems do ensue from this conversion, though. A well known fact of ex-landfill property is that oftentimes garbage once buried will literally float to the surface, breaking through the topsoil. Sightings of car tires or golf clubs poking through the ground on old landfill sights are not rare. Volitile gasses are also a danger created by paved over landfills. The decomposition of garbage underneath the surface causes pockets of explosive gasses to form, creating a potential danger for any pedestrians on the surface. Groundwater pollution and other issues also result from this practice.