Landfill methane is misunderstood. Three myths are undermining effective mitigation efforts.

The document argues that relying solely on landfill gas capture and flaring is insufficient for methane mitigation. It highlights that gas capture systems often have a default recovery rate of about 50% and can fail due to poor design or maintenance, with some sites with capture systems exhibiting higher average emission rates than those without. The brief promotes organic waste diversion as the primary strategy to prevent methane generation at the source and suggests complementary solutions such as microbial methane oxidation systems (biocovers, biofilters, and biowindows) and improved operational practices like minimizing active working faces and enhancing cover systems. It further notes that while enclosed flares can exceed 98% destruction efficiency, open flares are more variable, and neither can eliminate methane that bypasses the collection system.

• Landfill gas capture systems are not fully effective; while they can reach 90% methane recovery when well-maintained, the default recovery rate is approximately 50%. Poor design or maintenance can lead to leaks or create pathways for methane to escape, potentially causing super-emitter events.
• Satellite data indicates that gas capture systems do not guarantee the elimination of emissions. A Carbon Limits study from 2021-2022 found over 800 emission points from 89 sites, with more than 30% of these emissions coming from 28 sites that had gas capture systems installed; these sites showed higher average emission rates than those without such systems.

APA

Nguyen, L. (2026). Landfill methane is misunderstood. Three myths are undermining effective mitigation efforts. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2026/06/landfill-methane-misunderstood-three-myths-undermining-effective-mitigation-efforts/

Chicago

Nguyen, Linh. Landfill methane is misunderstood. Three myths are undermining effective mitigation efforts. Clean Air Task Force, 2026. https://www.catf.us/2026/06/landfill-methane-misunderstood-three-myths-undermining-effective-mitigation-efforts/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nguyen |first1=Linh |title=Landfill methane is misunderstood. Three myths are undermining effective mitigation efforts. |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=24 June 2026 |url=https://www.catf.us/2026/06/landfill-methane-misunderstood-three-myths-undermining-effective-mitigation-efforts/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nguyen2026landfill, author = {Nguyen, Linh}, title = {{Landfill methane is misunderstood. Three myths are undermining effective mitigation efforts.}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.catf.us/2026/06/landfill-methane-misunderstood-three-myths-undermining-effective-mitigation-efforts/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }