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Climate Change & Waste
Most people don’t realize that solid waste reduction and recycling help address global climate change. How? The manufacture, distribution and use of products – as well as management of the resulting waste – all result in greenhouse gas emissions. Waste prevention and recycling reduce greenhouse gases associated with these activities by reducing methane emissions, saving energy, and increasing forest carbon sequestration.
What is the link between solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions?
The different sources of greenhouse gas emissions from waste are illustrated in the graphic to the right. The disposal of solid waste produces greenhouse gas emissions in a number of ways. First, the anaerobic decomposition of waste in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Second, the incineration of waste produces carbon dioxide as a by-product. In addition, the transportation of waste to disposal sites produces greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of the fuel used in the equipment. Finally, the disposal of materials indicates that they are being replaced by new products; this production often requires the use of fossil fuels to obtain raw materials and manufacture the items.
How can certain waste management strategies reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Waste prevention and recycling—jointly referred to as waste reduction—help us better manage the solid waste we generate. But preventing waste and recycling also are potent strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Together, waste prevention and recycling:
- Reduce methane emissions from landfills. Waste prevention and recycling (including composting) divert organic wastes from landfills, thereby reducing the methane released when these materials decompose.
- Reduce emissions from incinerators. Recycling and waste prevention allow some materials to be diverted from incinerators and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of waste.
- Reduce emissions from energy consumption. Recycling saves energy. Manufacturing goods from recycled materials typically requires less energy than producing goods from virgin materials. Waste prevention is even more effective at saving energy. When people reuse things or when products are made with less material, less energy is needed to extract, transport, and process raw materials and to manufacture products. The payoff? When energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere.
- Increase storage of carbon in trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood, in a process called "carbon sequestration." Waste prevention and recycling of paper products allow more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
What about wastes already in landfills?
EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) demonstrates how to put waste to good use. As organic wastes decompose in landfills, they produce methane gas, which contributes to global warming. LMOP shows companies, utilities, and communities how to capture landfill gas and convert it to energy.
Where can I get general information on climate change or specific EPA climate studies and reports?
Explore the Climate Change Site for more information including climate change science, health and environmental effects, What You Can Do at Home, School, the Office, and on the Road. Try out the Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator.
For information on Climate Change and Waste, you can also call EPA's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hotline at (800) 424-9346. For EPA reports and general information on climate change, go to the Climate Change page, and for questions, please visit the Frequent Questions Database.