{
  "slug": "methane-landfill-emissions",
  "title": "Landfill Methane Emissions Calculator",
  "heading": "Landfilled Waste Methane Emissions Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/methane-landfill-emissions",
  "summary": "Estimated methane emissions from your organic and mixed waste sent to landfill.",
  "description": "Organic material sent to landfill decomposes anaerobically and generates methane, a greenhouse gas roughly 28-84 times more potent than CO2 depending on the time horizon used. This calculator estimates the methane emissions attributable to your landfilled waste stream, applying EPA's WARM model logic that differentiates organic-heavy waste (food scraps, yard waste, paper) from inert waste (glass, metal, plastic), since only the organic fraction generates significant landfill gas. It's the number that makes composting programs look far better on a carbon basis than the diversion-rate percentage alone suggests — diverting one ton of food waste from landfill to compost avoids far more emissions per ton than diverting a ton of glass or metal, because the counterfactual landfill methane from organics is so much higher than the near-zero landfill emissions from inert material.",
  "formula": "Methane emissions = landfilled tons × organic fraction × CH4 generation factor per ton × GWP (25-28 for CH4 on 100-yr basis).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=methane-landfill-emissions",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "landfillTons",
      "label": "Total waste to landfill",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150,
      "unit": "tons/yr",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "organicPct",
      "label": "Share that is organic (food, yard, paper)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "ch4Factor",
      "label": "CH4 generation factor",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 90,
      "unit": "kg CH4/ton organic",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gwp",
      "label": "CH4 global warming potential (100-yr)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 28,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 20,
      "max": 90
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "co2eTons",
      "label": "Estimated CO2e from landfill methane",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "ch4Kg",
      "label": "Methane generated",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "organicTons",
      "label": "Organic tons landfilled",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "co2ePerLandfillTon",
      "label": "CO2e per ton landfilled",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Total waste to landfill: 150 tons/yr",
      "Share that is organic (food, yard, paper): 45 %",
      "CH4 generation factor: 90 kg CH4/ton organic",
      "CH4 global warming potential (100-yr): 28"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated CO2e from landfill methane: 170.1",
      "Methane generated: 6,075",
      "Organic tons landfilled: 67.5",
      "CO2e per ton landfilled: 1.134"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter total waste to landfill (tons/yr).",
      "Enter share that is organic (food, yard, paper) (%).",
      "Enter ch4 generation factor (kg CH4/ton organic).",
      "Enter ch4 global warming potential (100-yr).",
      "Read your estimated co2e from landfill methane on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "landfillTons": 90,
        "organicPct": 25,
        "ch4Factor": 55,
        "gwp": 20
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "landfillTons": 150,
        "organicPct": 45,
        "ch4Factor": 90,
        "gwp": 28
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "landfillTons": 240,
        "organicPct": 70,
        "ch4Factor": 145,
        "gwp": 45
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why use a GWP of 28 instead of methane's higher 20-year value?",
      "a": "The 100-year GWP (around 28-36 per IPCC AR5/AR6) is the standard used in most national inventories and corporate reporting frameworks. Some climate scientists argue the 20-year GWP (around 80-85) better reflects methane's near-term warming impact since it's a short-lived gas; check which convention your specific disclosure framework requires before publishing a number."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this account for landfill gas capture systems?",
      "a": "No — this is an uncontrolled emissions estimate. Many large modern landfills capture 60-90% of generated methane for flaring or energy recovery, which substantially cuts actual atmospheric emissions. If you know your waste goes to a landfill with gas capture, apply that capture rate as a reduction to the result here for a more accurate number."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why does diverting food waste matter more than diverting recyclables for climate impact?",
      "a": "Ton for ton, food waste generates far more landfill methane than almost any other waste category because it's highly organic and decomposes quickly. Composting or anaerobic digestion avoids that methane generation almost entirely, which is why food waste diversion often shows up as the single highest-impact waste program per ton, even though recyclables usually dominate diversion-rate percentages."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/waste-diversion-rate",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/compost-diversion-savings",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/scope1-2-emissions"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Landfill Methane Emissions Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/methane-landfill-emissions)"
}