Recent studies indicate that a landfill methane emission reduction in the order of 4 million tonnes of methane per year can largely become available for energy production. A reduction of 81 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year is possible in Europe. This emission reduction can be achieved by applying proven landfill gas control technology and promoting bioreactor technology for landfill of biodegradable waste.

Two studies on landfill gas, commissioned by the Sustainable Landfill Foundation, indicate that the landfill industry of the EU-15, as one of the very few industries, has already achieved a significant greenhouse gas reduction of  66 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between 1990 and 2005. This is equivalent to the entire national greenhouse emission of Denmark. The additional 81 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent reduction in the EU-27 is almost the size of the entire national greenhouse gas emission of Austria. More efforts are required to introduce proven landfill gas control technology throughout Europe. Landfill gas control is already mandatory through the European Landfill Directive. But detailed European regulations are not available. In many member states realisation and enforcement receive insufficient attention.

To obtain the full greenhouse gas reduction it is absolutely necessary to promote bioreactor landfill technology for biodegradable waste (that can not (yet) be treated otherwise). This entails formulation of bioreactor guidelines and creation of incentives to apply bioreactor landfill technology. Such incentives can be found in promotion of renewable energy. There is no difference between biogas from a digestion plant or from a bioreactor landfill. Both should receive similar support. From an energy perspective a bioreactor can be considered a waste to energy plant and a form of treatment.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2007 inventory data indicate that the EU-27 emitted 88 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2005 from ‘managed waste disposal on land'. From various member states data are missing and some landfill emissions seem ridiculously low compared to the amount of waste landfilled. It is therefore very likely that the methane emission from landfills in the EU-27 surpassed 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2005.

The European Environment Agency expects that amounts of municipal solid waste landfilled in Europe in 2020 will be similar to the 2005 amounts. In other words Europe will not come anywhere near meeting the Landfill Directive 2016 target of 35% landfill of the amount of biodegradable municipal solid waste landfilled in 1995. Landfill reduction targets will consequently not have the desired effect on greenhouse gas emission reduction. Considering that there are no landfill reduction targets for other biodegradable wastes than municipal solid wastes, it can be expected that landfill methane emission will increase towards 2020.

Further improvement of landfill gas control and promotion of bioreactor technology is therefore absolutely necessary. It should be noted that (although limited) landfill of biodegradable waste will continue even after full implementation of the Landfill Directive. The Sustainable Landfill Foundation recommends that more detailed technical guidelines for landfill gas extraction already existing in some member states are incorporated in European waste regulations. The Sustainable Landfill Foundation also recommends to create guidelines and incentives that promote bioreactor technology for landfilling of biodegradable waste. This by no means affects the intentions of Europe to transform into a recycling society. And the bottom line is that it will result in a quick and substantial contribution to European greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

www.sustainablelandfillfoundation.eu.