Regulating landfills using measured methane emissions: An English perspective.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Waste Management Engineering

Background:

• Landfill methane emissions are a significant greenhouse gas source globally and in the UK.
• Effective regulation of landfills is crucial for reducing climate change contributions from waste management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of methane emission measurements for regulating landfills in England.
• To assess the feasibility of implementing a Methane Collection Index (MCI) for landfill regulation.

Main Methods:

• Quantified methane emissions from 15 UK biodegradable waste landfills using Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) and tracer gas dispersion.
• Developed an aerial measurement method for methane emission quantification.
• Calculated the Methane Collection Index (MCI) as the ratio of methane collection rate to total gas (collection + emission) rates.

Main Results:

• Methane Collection Index (MCI) values ranged from 0.28 to 0.90 across surveyed landfills.
• Modern operational landfills achieved MCI values between 0.64 and 0.90, averaging 0.76.
• Demonstrated that landfills can effectively collect a high proportion of generated landfill gas.

Conclusions:

• A proposed regulatory approach using an annual MCI measurement campaign and a set limit (e.g., 0.75) can drive methane emission reductions.
• Setting achievable but challenging MCI limits can incentivize improved landfill gas management.
• Implementing MCI-based regulation can significantly reduce the climate impact of landfills.