Active Face Emissions: An Opportunity for Reducing Methane Emissions in Global Waste Management

This study used mobile surveys of ten Canadian landfills to assess how methane emissions varied across different landfill sources and operational conditions. The studied landfills included two closed landfills, four open landfills equipped with Gas Collection and Control Systems (GCCS), and four open landfills operating without GCCS. We employed the Gaussian dispersion model to estimate emissions fluxes using on site and off site transect data. We observed high spatial variability of methane emissions and identified the sources that contributed significantly to overall landfill emissions, sources such as the active face, closed cells, compost areas, leachate systems, and GCCS. Overall, we found that the active face of landfills is a major emitter of methane, contributing 76% of the methane emissions for landfills with GCCS and 38% for landfills without GCCS. The results underscore the importance of improved monitoring and management strategies at landfill active faces to more effectively mitigate methane emissions from landfills.