Landfill Emissions
Landfill emissions are greenhouse gases — primarily methane (CH₄) — produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in landfill sites.
What is Landfill Emissions?
Landfill is the most carbon-intensive waste disposal method for organic materials. When food waste, paper, cardboard, textiles, and other organic materials decompose in the oxygen-free conditions of a landfill, they produce methane — a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential approximately 28 times that of CO₂ over 100 years.
UK landfill sites account for approximately 4% of total national greenhouse gas emissions. While landfill gas capture systems can recover a portion of the methane for energy generation, they typically capture only 50–75% of the gas produced. The remainder escapes to the atmosphere.
For organisations, landfill emissions are reported in Scope 3 Category 5 (Waste Generated in Operations). DEFRA publishes emission factors for waste sent to landfill by waste type. Diverting waste from landfill — through recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, or energy recovery — is one of the most effective ways to reduce Category 5 emissions.
Practical Examples
A hospitality group reduces its landfill emissions by 80% by introducing food waste segregation and sending it to anaerobic digestion rather than landfill.
A construction company diverts 95% of site waste from landfill through improved segregation and partnerships with recycling facilities.
An office building calculates that its 50 tonnes of annual general waste sent to landfill produces 25 tCO₂e, while the same waste sent to energy recovery would produce only 10 tCO₂e.
How Climatise Helps
Climatise calculates landfill emissions using DEFRA waste factors by waste type and disposal method, and models the emission savings from diverting waste to alternative treatment routes.
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