Landfills and GHGRP
- Summary of GHGRP Emissions Data from Landfills
- Modern Landfills and Landfill Gas (LFG)
- Environmental Justice and Landfills
Source: Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) requires applicable facilities to report data from greenhouse gas (GHG) emission sources to the EPA. Subpart HH and subpart TT of the GHGRP's waste source category cover municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and industrial waste landfills, respectively. Both subparts include landfill gas collection systems and destruction (or control) devices for landfill gases. This webpage provides an overview of landfill emissions and gas collection systems reported by facilities under these subparts to help understand how information from companies are reported to the GHGRP.
Subpart HH applies to MSW landfills that accepted waste on or after January 1, 1980, and generate methane in amounts equivalent to 25,000 metric tons CO2e or more per year. MSW landfills are disposal facilities that receive household waste, commercial solid waste, nonhazardous sludge, conditionally exempt small quantity generator waste, and/or industrial solid waste.
Subpart TT applies to industrial waste landfills that accepted waste on or after January 1, 1980, and that are located at a facility whose total landfill design capacity is greater than or equal to 300,000 metric tons (tonnes). Industrial waste landfills are landfills other than a municipal solid waste landfill, a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C hazardous waste landfill, or a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) hazardous waste landfill, in which industrial solid waste, such as non-hazardous industrial RCRA Subtitle D wastes, commercial solid wastes, or conditionally exempt small quantity generator wastes, are placed.
Summary of GHGRP Emissions Data from Landfills
Of the landfills that reported to GHGRP in Reporting Year (RY) 2023, 87% (1,125) were MSW landfills (Subpart HH), which were responsible for 92% of GHGRP reported landfill emissions. Industrial waste landfills (Subpart TT) composed the remaining 13% (162) and were responsible for 8% of emissions.
Landfills with larger areas containing waste generally emit more GHGs, although this is not always the case. Emissions are also affected by whether a landfill has a landfill gas collection and control system (GCCS), the age of the waste, and the type of the waste, among other factors.
Modern Landfills and Landfill Gas (LFG)
Today’s landfills must meet stringent design, operation and closure requirements established under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
LFG is a natural byproduct of the decomposition of organic material in landfills. LFG is composed of roughly 50 percent methane (the primary component of natural gas), 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2) and a small amount of non-methane organic compounds. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas at least 28 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 100-year period.
In RY 2023, 1,287 MSW and industrial waste landfills reported to GHGRP. Most of these landfills (83%) reported being “open”, or actively receiving waste in the reporting year, while about 17% reported being “closed”, or no longer receiving waste. Applicable landfills that are no longer receiving waste are still required to report to the GHGRP, because emissions will continue to generate from the existing waste in place. Review 40 CFR 98.2(i) for more information on when a facility can stop reporting.
LFG as a Renewable Energy Source
Instead of escaping into the air, LFG can be captured, converted, and used as a renewable energy resource. Using LFG helps to reduce odors and other hazards associated with LFG emissions and prevents methane from migrating into the atmosphere and contributing to local smog and global climate change.
In RY 2023, approximately 67% of all GHGRP-reporting landfills reported having a landfill gas collection system. Among closed landfills, about 63% have a landfill gas collection system. Among open landfills, about 67% have a landfill gas collection system.
Existing regulations under the Clean Air Act require MSW landfills of a certain size to install and operate a gas collection and control system.
Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP)
EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is a voluntary program that works cooperatively with industry stakeholders and waste officials to reduce or avoid methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and beneficial use of LFG generated from organic municipal solid waste. LMOP forms partnerships with stakeholders and develops tools and resources to help overcome barriers to project development. LMOP also assists stakeholders with technical assistance, guidance and informational materials, and by providing informational webinars.
Capturing and using LFG reduces local air pollution, creates health benefits, generates revenue and jobs in the community and may also displace the use of non-renewable resources. This map displays LFG energy project locations.
Environmental Justice and Landfills
GHGRP data is available for individual facilities in FLIGHT. FLIGHT provides information about GHG emissions reported as part of the GHGRP in an interactive mapping tool. In addition to providing information on facility location, name, and industry type, FLIGHT includes a layer with demographic data from EJScreen, EPA's environmental justice screening and mapping tool, to help better understand who lives near reporting facilities. The example shown below overlays landfill locations in FLIGHT with demographic information to demonstrate how data from the GHGRP can be combined with demographic data from EJScreen to help explore the potential impacts of landfills in neighboring communities. Three of the four landfills in this view are located in communities which rank high on EJScreen's demographic index variable.
