Decarbonization of the Waste Industry in U.S.A. and the European Union

Methane (CH4) emissions from the waste industry in U.S.A. and the European Union (EU) have decreased by over 38% from 1990 to 2021. The success in CH4 emission reduction in U.S.A. is attributable to two main reasons. Firstly, the increase of the recycling and composting share to 32% of the managed waste, thus removing decomposable material from landfills, and secondly the implementation of methane capture and utilization programs, which have reduced by over 60% the CH4 released in the atmosphere from 1990 to 2022. The EU had reduced by 2022, landfilling to 23% of the total waste, with waste-to-energy and composting more than double of their U.S. counterparts, and recycling alone attaining a share of 30%. EU’s success has been the result of aggressive European legislation requiring biodegradable MSW going to landfills be reduced by 2035 to 10 % of that in 1995, and 65% of the packaging waste be retrieved and recycled by 2025. In terms of N2O emissions, in EU there is a decrease from wastewater processes from 1990 to 2021, but an overall increase due to waste-to-energy operations, whereas in U.S.A. both wastewater treatment and solid waste incineration appear to contribute to N2O emissions.