How the Waste Industry Can Lead on Climate Change – Waste 360
Article Synopsis – The climate impact from the waste industry comes primarily from methane, which is produced from the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials in a landfill. Methane is short lived in the atmosphere, but its impacts are great. In 20 years, methane is 84 times more potent than CO2—this means every ton of methane traps as much heat in our atmosphere as 84 tons of carbon dioxide. The good news about these short-lived pollutants is that they represent an unprecedented opportunity to take immediate action to slow the rate of climate change. Methane capture at landfills is not enough, the real solution lies in eliminating organics from landfills through composting and waste reduction. This not only eliminates the methane in the landfills, it also enhances carbon soil sequestration, which can help pull carbon from the atmosphere. To read the actual article click here.