Landfills are critical components of the global waste management infrastructure. With the influx of increasingly large quantities of municipal solid waste, it has become imperative to assess the effect landfills have on global warming. Although landfills are often thought of as sources of global warming, by their nature, landfills are significant contributors to global warming.
Methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, is naturally produced when organic material decomposes in the presence of oxygen. Landfills contain large concentrations of organic waste; when this waste decomposes, the released methane gases enter the atmosphere. The effects of methane on the environment is two-fold; first, the direct warming effect it has when it is present in the atmosphere, and second, the damage it does to the ozone layer, leading to more solar radiation entering the atmosphere and eventually causing further warming.
The sheer volume of waste accumulated in landfills is staggering. In 2020 alone, the United States generated more than 267 million tons of municipal solid waste, of which more than 58% of it was sent to landfills. Every landfilled ton of waste is a potential source of methane gas, which has the capability to trap over twenty times more thermal energy than CO2 released from multiple sources. This means that landfills are responsible for releasing a significant amount of carbon into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.
However, there is some good news;recently authorities have begun to recognize thepotential of utilizing landfills as sources of renewable energy. Landfill gas combustions are proven systems that can be used to generate clean power and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. By converting the released methane gas into electricity,it can be safely used as an additional source of energy. Moreover, its use will not only reduce methane emissions, it will also reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Despite attempts to counteract the mass production of municipal solid waste,the emissions from landfills will remain inevitable. It is therefore imperative that we continue to develop and improve landfill gas combustion systems to help mitigate the level of methane emissions from landfills and reduce their negative impact on global warming.
Furthermore, it is of utmost importance that we continue to pursue resource recovery initiatives and actions that promote the three Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle – to lessen the amount of waste being landfilled. By reducing the amount of material sent to landfills, the amount of methane released and its subsequent impacts on global warming will be alleviated. Citizens of the world can help by educating themselves on the importance of proper and sustainable waste management practices.
These days, the increase of landfilled waste is an alarming environmental and human health issue. In order to reduce the impacts of landfills on global warming, we must have a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of landfilling and strive to create a more sustainable waste system. Change starts with each of us, and every step taken to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste will be a step in the right direction to tackle global warming.
