Mejores prácticas para la reducción de metano en sitios de disposición final en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

The report outlines technical and operational measures to mitigate methane emissions from landfills in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where waste management emissions accounted for 10,258 kt in 2023. It categorizes disposal sites into dumpsites, controlled landfills, and sanitary landfills, emphasizing that daily operational practices—such as waste compaction, daily cover application, and leachate management—significantly impact emissions even without advanced gas capture infrastructure. The document details specific equipment requirements, slope stability guidelines, and gas collection system designs, noting that while optimal capture efficiencies can exceed 80%, many regional facilities operate between 20% and 60%. Additionally, it advocates for organic waste diversion through composting and anaerobic digestion, drawing on European precedents, and stresses the necessity of multi-level capacity building for operators and policymakers to ensure sustainable mitigation.

• In 2023, methane emissions from solid waste and wastewater management in Latin America and the Caribbean reached 10,258 kt, representing approximately 16% of global emissions for the sector.
• Approximately 45% of waste in the LAC region is still sent to inadequate disposal sites where basic practices like compaction, daily cover, leachate management, or gas control are not applied.
• The active work face of a landfill is a critical emission source; research in the United States indicated that this area can represent more than 75% of quantified methane emissions.
• Effective waste compaction—spreading waste in layers of 300-500 mm and compacting at least four times—increases waste density to 500-900 kg/m³, which limits oxygen infiltration and gas migration.
• Daily cover should consist of at least 15 cm of soil or approved materials to control odors, vectors, and emissions, while intermediate cover requires at least 30 cm and final cover at least 60 cm.
• Biosystems, such as biocovers, biovents, and biofilters, use organic materials to biologically oxidize methane into carbon dioxide, reducing fugitive emissions without complex infrastructure.
• The lack of specialized compactors in LAC, often replaced by general construction equipment like excavators and loaders, leads to lower compaction densities and less effective gas and leachate control.
• While optimal gas capture systems can achieve efficiencies over 80%, many facilities in the LAC region operate with efficiencies between 20% and 60% due to design, operation, and maintenance limitations.
• Organic waste constitutes between 50% and 70% of urban solid waste in the region, making diversion through composting, anaerobic digestion, and food recovery a powerful mitigation tool.
• International examples show that strict regulations can drastically reduce emissions: Germany reduced waste-related methane emissions by over 90% between 1995 and 2021, and the UK reduced them by over 70% between 2002 and 2021.

APA

Garzón, I., Siegel, K., Nguyen, L., & Holley, P. G. (2026). Mejores prácticas para la reducción de metano en sitios de disposición final en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/10110458/landfill-best-practices.pdf

Chicago

Garzón, Isabel, Kait Siegel, Linh Nguyen, and Paula García Holley. Mejores prácticas para la reducción de metano en sitios de disposición final en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Clean Air Task Force, 2026. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/10110458/landfill-best-practices.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Garzón |first1=Isabel |last2=Siegel |first2=Kait |last3=Nguyen |first3=Linh |last4=Holley |first4=Paula García |title=Mejores prácticas para la reducción de metano en sitios de disposición final en Latinoamérica y el Caribe |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=June 2026 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/10110458/landfill-best-practices.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{garzn2026mejores, author = {Garzón, Isabel and Siegel, Kait and Nguyen, Linh and Holley, Paula García}, title = {{Mejores prácticas para la reducción de metano en sitios de disposición final en Latinoamérica y el Caribe}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/10110458/landfill-best-practices.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }