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What you need to know about emissions from landfills
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that causes warming much faster than carbon dioxide (CO2). Cutting methane emissions is critical in the fight to slow down climate warming. Minimizing leaks from oil and gas operations is an obvious way to cut methane emissions, but there are other sources too.
Most people don’t think of climate pollution when taking out the trash, but landfills are actually the third-largest source of methane in the United States, accounting for about 14.4% of methane emissions in 2022, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Methane pollution from landfills comes from decomposing food waste and other organic material, including yard trimmings and paper. Landfills are also a source of other toxic pollutants that can harm the health and safety of families and communities.
Landfill basics
There are more than 1,100 municipal solid waste landfills in the U.S. Texas and California have the highest methane emissions from landfills, but no two landfills are the same in terms of how much trash—or even what kind of trash—they contain. Some landfills accept out-of-state trash.
There are design, operation, and disclosure requirements for modern landfills—they can’t be built in environmentally sensitive areas, and they are supposed to have monitoring systems that check for landfill gas as well as groundwater contamination, for example.
State governments and the federal government regulate air pollution from landfills. Some states are stricter than others, including California, Oregon, Washington, and Maryland. And yet landfill emissions remain inadequately controlled.
Landfills emitted about 3.7 million metric tons of methane in 2021, according to EPA data. However, analysis of satellite measurements suggests that actual emissions could be more than 6 million metric tons. Landfills that have been shut down can emit methane for many years as waste does not break down immediately after initial disposal. That’s why landfills from the 1980s are still emitting methane today.
Landfills, pollutants, and health impacts
Landfills across the U.S. pollute air, water, and soil. Climate warming methane pollution disproportionately harms vulnerable populations, including our children.
Landfills also release other toxic pollutants that harm the health and safety of families and communities. Landfill gas can contain ozone-forming compounds as well as known carcinogens like benzene and vinyl chloride. Contaminants from landfills are also known to leach into water. PFAS chemicals have been found in a majority of landfills—both in the gas and the leachate. These “forever chemicals” have been linked to decreased fertility, cancer, liver damage, thyroid problems, adverse birth outcomes, and more.
Landfill methane and pollution solutions
While most U.S. landfills self-report their emissions to EPA, recent data shows pollution levels significantly higher than reported. There are also landfills operating while openly violating environmental laws. EPA needs to set stronger standards for landfill methane pollution that include:
- Gas collection systems. Landfills of a certain size are required to install and operate gas collection and control systems. Updated standards must ensure that more landfills install new and better systems to collect and control landfill gas emissions more quickly.
- Updated methane monitoring standards. Current federal methane emissions regulations for landfills aren’t strict enough to result in necessary reduction. Updated revisions to how landfills monitor and capture methane emissions are needed.
- Support for diverting food waste and organic materials. The USDA says people in the U.S. throw out about between 30 and 40 percent of their food. Supermarkets toss about the same. A recent report from the EPA found that 58% of methane emissions from landfills were due to food waste. Keeping food out of landfills is as simple as stores tossing less food and consumers shopping more frequently to avoid waste, plus recycling and composting. Some municipalities even collect food scraps, making it easier to divert organic waste.
Community impacts of landfill pollution
About two million people in the U.S. live within one mile of a landfill. Children, people of color, and people living in poverty are more likely to have homes close to a landfill and be impacted by its pollution. Over 50% of landfills are in communities with a higher percentage of people of color or historically under-resourced populations than the national average. People who live close to landfills report complaints of odors, nausea, headaches, general fear for their health due to proximity to landfills, and other illnesses.
Take action
Landfills release as much greenhouse gases as 66 million gasoline-powered vehicles driving for a year. While we push for stricter standards and even large-scale federally mandated composting programs, minimizing food waste is a simple and effective way anyone can get involved in the effort to cut landfill methane emissions. A yard with a compost pile isn’t necessary as food scraps can be taken to or picked up by a compost collection program or private company, or broken down in an at-home compost machine or even a worm bin. To take action to reduce landfill methane emissions, you can also join Moms Clean Air Force to demand federal regulators as well as states update standards and improve control and monitoring. This will reduce air pollution overall and improve quality of life in nearby communities.
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Released: November 2024