Methane and landfills
Mechanisms-first climate coverage: understand what changes emissions, then optimize decisions.
Mechanism
Waste impacts emissions through production choices (virgin vs recycled), transport, and landfill methane. Recycling helps when it displaces virgin production and avoids contamination.
Where it helps
- High-value materials with stable end markets (metals, clean fiber).
- Systems with low contamination and short transport distances.
Where it fails
- Mixed or contaminated material with no buyer.
- Long-distance hauling of low-value streams.
- Policies that increase waste generation rather than preventing it.
What to do next
- Reduce waste (reuse/refill).
- Divert organics to reduce methane risk.
- Recycle high-value streams well.
- Support EPR / deposit-return / recycled-content standards.
Diagram
