Reduction of methane emissions through improved landfill management

Haoran Tong, Tianhai Cheng (), Xingyu Li, Hao Zhu, Xiaotong Ye, Donghao Fan and Tao Tang
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Haoran Tong: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tianhai Cheng: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xingyu Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Hao Zhu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaotong Ye: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Donghao Fan: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tao Tang: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Climate Change, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 866-872

Abstract: Abstract Solid waste in landfills continuously emits methane, which has become the third-largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions globally. The methane emissions from landfills exhibit substantial variability due to factors such as waste management practices and climatic conditions. Here we assessed methane emissions from 102 high-emitting landfills worldwide under different management strategies and climate conditions using 5 years of satellite observations. We find that, for these sites, total methane emissions from open dumps are underestimated by a factor of 5.3 ± 0.3 in the EDGAR v8.0 inventory. Transforming open dumpsites worldwide into sanitary landfills, while diverting organic waste to composters and biodigesters, can decrease methane emissions by 80% (60–89%), offering a mitigation potential of 760 (570–850) Mt CO2e annually. These results highlight that prioritizing improved waste management in developing countries, supported by economic and technological measures, represents one of the most effective strategies for mitigating methane emissions from the solid waste sector.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02391-1

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