(NewsNation) — Landfills across the United States are a significant source of methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, a new study reveals.
The findings show significant point source methane emissions were detected at 52% of the landfill sites studied. The researchers told the New York Times that these garbage dumps release methane “on average at almost three times the rate reported to federal regulators.”
The research published in the journal Science used “airborne imaging spectrometers” to measure methane emissions from hundreds of large landfills in 18 states between 2016 and 2022. This accounts for about 20% of open U.S. landfills.
The results of the study highlight the need for better long-term monitoring of landfill methane emissions to help guide policies aimed at mitigating climate change impacts, the authors said.
Methane is the second-most prevalent greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, with human-caused emissions accounting for over half the global total.
Landfills are sites for the disposal of household waste including food scraps. Landfills produce methane as a byproduct of the decomposition of organic waste materials like food scraps, yard waste, paper and wood products. Instead, organic matter can be composted which is a sustainable way of disposal.
This study comes as the United Nations reports that the world wasted an estimated 19% of the food produced globally in 2022, or about 1.05 billion metric tons.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that landfills are the third largest source of human-caused methane emissions in the United States, emitting as much greenhouse gas as 23 million gasoline cars driven for a year.