The Carbon-Free Region Handbook: Waste

This guide provides a set of recommended actions for regional governments to manage waste in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates economic opportunities, focusing on organic waste diversion, open burn bans, and waste energy capture.

• Action 24 recommends the development of policies and programs to divert organic waste from landfills. Suggested methods include separate collection requirements, education campaigns, financial incentives for food redistribution, and disincentives for generating food waste.
• Action 25 proposes banning the open burning of both municipal and agricultural waste. The guide suggests supporting these bans through education, upgrading waste collection, sorting, and treatment, and providing financing for sustainable farming techniques.
• Action 26 focuses on waste energy capture by requiring gas collection and control systems at municipal solid waste landfills, regardless of whether they are active, inactive, or closed. It further promotes the recovery of gas to produce electricity or steam.
• Improper waste management is identified as a source of pollution, atmospheric methane release, and local health problems.

APA

RMI (2018). The Carbon-Free Region Handbook: Waste. https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-region-handbook-waste/

Chicago

RMI. The Carbon-Free Region Handbook: Waste. 2018. https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-region-handbook-waste/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Carbon-Free Region Handbook: Waste |date=23 August 2018 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-region-handbook-waste/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2018carbonfree, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Carbon-Free Region Handbook: Waste}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/the-carbon-free-region-handbook-waste/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }