Landfills remain methane concern, says study

Owners and operators of both closed and in-service landfills in the United States have invested steadily to capture methane emissions and convert the gas to energy. An analysis by a Cincinnati-based not-for-profit group focused on carbon emissions, however, says landfills remain a foremost methane contributor.

Industrious Labs, which says it has as part of its mission “reimagining the industrial sector as not only a source of good union jobs, but a climate solution where we make things responsibly,” says its analysis has shown that in 2021 a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill was the number one largest industrial emitter of methane in 37 states in the U.S.

Three of the top five states for combined landfill methane emissions are among those with the largest populations: Texas, Florida and California. Joining them in the top five are two states labeled by Industrial Labs as net waste importers: Ohio and Georgia.

“Landfills are out of sight for most Americans, but our analysis reveals landfills are the biggest industrial source of methane emissions in most states,” says Katherine Blauvelt, circular economy campaign director for the organization. “Organic waste, mostly food, causes methane emissions with severe short-term global warming potential, and these emissions are both underreported and under regulated.”

Industrious Labs says its analysis used data provided by companies with the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions submitted to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.

The group says the U.S. EPA has previously estimated that landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions in the U.S., having contributed 103.7 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (CO2e) over a 100-year time frame.

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” says Liz Kunkle, zero waste policy manager at the Springfield, Illinois-based Illinois Environmental Council regarding the effort to identify and address GHG emissions from landfills.

“This dashboard will be a foundational tool as we make our case to policymakers for improved tracking and decreasing landfill methane emissions in Illinois,” adds Kunkle.

Industrious Labs also quotes residents and not-for-profit staff members in Florida, Oregon and Washington as saying the dashboard could be used to help advocate for policy changes in their states.

“There are exciting alternatives to spending billions each year burning and burying waste while harming the climate and communities,” says Blauvelt. “You don't have to split an atom. States have already adopted regulations utilizing proven technologies and practices that better manage emissions at landfills. The EPA should move to immediately update its landfill emissions regulations following the states’ lead, employing the best available technology and practices.”

Blauvelt points to organics recycling programs with food recovery requirements and community composting aspects as one such best practice.

Interactive state maps and dashboards that compare landfills to other industrial emissions sources in all 50 states can be found on this web page.