Question Period Note: Landfill Methane

In 2022, emissions from Canadian landfills accounted for 17% of national methane emissions and 2.8% of national GHG emissions. Despite voluntary and regulatory actions implemented in Canada over the past decades, significant additional methane emission reductions from landfills are possible,

• Landfill methane is a significant portion of all methane emissions.
• By reducing emissions of methane from Canadian landfills by close to 50% by 2030, Canada can help slow down near-term climate impacts, like the natural disasters we are increasingly experiencing, and make progress towards our goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Reducing landfill methane emissions is cost-effective, with a very low cost per tonne.

• Biodegradable waste such as food, wood, and paper makes up over 60% of the waste disposed in Canada. When this waste is sent to landfill it breaks down to produce landfill gas which is composed of about 50% methane and 50% carbon dioxide.
• Some reductions in methane emissions from landfills can be achieved by diverting biodegradable waste from landfills to be used for composting, anaerobic digestion and recycling. However, by 2030, approximately 40% of the methane that will be generated from landfills will come from biodegradable waste disposed of before 2020.
• On-site equipment can be installed to recover landfill gas and reduce methane emissions.
• Canada’s 2022 Methane Strategy included federal actions to reduce waste sector emissions including new regulations to increase recovery and destruction of methane from large landfills.
• The Regulations would gradually come into effect, depending on the landfill’s methane generation rate, to allow adequate time for the design and installation of the required infrastructure.

Non-applicable