In a newly released report, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that 2010 landfill carbon emissions were 107 million tons. This is a 27% decrease from the estimated 147 million tons released in 1990.
A big driver in the decrease may be the amount of gas collected and combusted. In 1990 approximately 960 Gg of CH4 were recovered and combusted (i.e., used for energy or flared) from landfills, while in 2010, 7,627 Gg CH4 was recovered.
While declining, landfills still account for approximately 16.2 percent of total U.S. methane emissions in 2010, the third largest contribution of any CH4 source in the United States. Additionally, wastewater treatment and composting of organic waste accounted for approximately 2.5 percent and less than 1 percent of U.S. methane emissions, respectively.
The report also states that the EPA expects the total amount of municipal solid waste generated to increase in the coming years but that the percentage of waste sent to landfills may decline due to increased recycling.
