Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Process of Landfill Disposal in China

Abstract

Quantitative accounting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has become an important global focus. GHG emissions from the waste sector have high potential in GHG emissions reduction. We analyzed the GHG emissions inventory in the waste sector of the European Union, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canada from 1990 to 2019. Landfill disposal was the main category of GHGs from the waste sector, with a contribution rate between 69% and 95%. Landfill disposal also played a prominent role in emission reduction, with a contribution rate higher than 86%. GHG emissions from landfill sites in China were calculated using the inventory analysis method recommended by the IPCC and combined with actual situations. The results showed that the highest GHG emissions from landfill disposal in China occurred in 2020, with an estimated 165 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. In 2019, the per capita GHG emissions from landfill sites in China was 117 kg CO2 equivalent/person, which was higher than Germany (87 kg CO2 equivalent/person) but lower than the European Union (189 kg CO2 equivalent/person).