Colombia Waste Sector Methane Analysis Factsheet

Colombia is the third largest emitter of waste methane in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the waste sector contributing 22% of national methane emissions. While the country has improved collection and disposal infrastructure, it lacks national policies specifically targeting methane reduction from solid waste. In 2018, the waste sector accounted for 7% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with 52% of those emissions originating from solid waste disposal. Organic waste makes up 70% of the waste stream, yet current tariff systems discourage organic waste diversion by rewarding landfill operators based on waste volume. Key recommendations include developing a national waste methane mitigation strategy, revising tariffs to reflect the costs of organics diversion, and improving data collection on waste flows.

• Colombia ranks as the third largest emitter of waste methane within the Latin America and Caribbean region, behind only Brazil and Mexico. The waste sector, comprising wastewater and solid waste, is responsible for 22% of the country's annual methane emissions.
• In 2018, the waste sector represented 7% of Colombia's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, totaling 20.46 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Methane constitutes 93.4% of these waste-related GHG emissions, with 52% of the sector's total emissions coming from solid waste disposal.
• Despite a regulatory framework that bans open dumping and burning, Colombia has no national policies or regulations specifically dedicated to reducing methane emissions from the solid waste sector.
• Organic waste represents 70% of the waste stream, but its diversion is hindered by a tariff system that rewards landfill operators based on the volume of waste received, making organic waste treatment projects economically unfeasible.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2024). Colombia Waste Sector Methane Analysis Factsheet. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/17135043/ColombiaWasteSector_Factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Colombia Waste Sector Methane Analysis Factsheet. 2024. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/17135043/ColombiaWasteSector_Factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Colombia Waste Sector Methane Analysis Factsheet |date=2024 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/17135043/ColombiaWasteSector_Factsheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2024colombia, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Colombia Waste Sector Methane Analysis Factsheet}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/17135043/ColombiaWasteSector_Factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }