Waste and greenhouse gases: Canada’s actions
When organic wastes – such as food, yard waste and paper – are disposed in landfills, they produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG). This process occurs over many years, which means that the methane generated in landfills today is the result of decades of disposal of organic waste.
According to Canada's Greenhouse Gas Inventory, in 2023, emissions from Canadian landfills accounted for 17% of national methane emissions.
Reducing methane emissions at landfills
By installing landfill gas management systems, methane is recovered before it can be emitted to the atmosphere. The recovered landfill gas is either flared (burned) or used to create low-carbon energy. There are over 100 landfills in Canada that have systems in place to recover landfill gas and reduce emissions. Other approaches reduce emissions through the use of biological systems (for example, biocovers and biofilters).
Recovered landfill gas can be used to create low-carbon fuels and energy such as renewable natural gas and electricity.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) maintains a Landfill Gas Inventory which includes:
- open landfills with a waste capacity greater than 100,000 tonnes and that receive more than 500 tonnes of municipal solid waste per year
- closed landfills with at least 450,000 tonnes of waste in place
Request a copy of the Landfill Gas Inventory.
Organic waste reduction and diversion
Diverting organic waste away from landfills and processing it at composting or anaerobic digestion facilities avoids the generation of landfill methane and extends the lifespan of the landfill.
Composting includes everything from backyard composters to large facilities that turn food waste, yard and garden waste, and other organic wastes into compost that can be used as a soil amendment.
Anaerobic digestion is an industrial process that is used to convert food and other organic waste into biogas (a methane-rich gaseous mixture that can replace the use of fossil fuels and fossil-based energy) and a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
Find out more about these organic waste management technologies through the Technical Document on Municipal Solid Waste Organics Processing.
Of course, reducing the amount of food waste created in the first place makes the most of the energy and resources that go into growing and producing food, reduces the amount of waste that needs to be managed, and reduces landfill methane emissions.
Learn about how we can reduce Food loss and waste.
Find out more about the ways waste management can impact GHG emissions by using the GHG Calculator for Organic Waste Management.
Actions to reduce landfill methane emissions
Faster and Further: Canada’s Methane Strategy describes federal approaches for reducing methane emissions from the waste sector by 2030.
Landfill Methane Regulations
The Climate Competitiveness Strategy outlined in Budget 2025, which aims to boost Canada’s economy and position the country as a leader in clean growth and decarbonization, included new federal regulations to reduce methane emissions from landfills.
The Landfill Methane Regulations, published in December 2025, will reduce methane emissions from landfills receiving municipal solid waste through an approach that sets methane concentration limits at the surface of the landfill and requires regular monitoring to confirm these limits are being met. The regulations also require landfill owners to regularly monitor equipment to identify methane leaks. The regulations will reduce methane emissions from Canadian landfills in support of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and Canada’s international commitments under the Global Methane Pledge.
Find out more about the Landfill Methane Regulations.
Technical resources
ECCC has created the following resources to help estimate, measure and monitor methane at landfills in Canada:
- The ECCC Landfill Methane Modelling Tool
- The Technical Guidance Document on Estimating, Measuring and Monitoring Landfill Methane
The Technical Guidance Document and Modelling Tool support the implementation of the new Landfill Methane Regulations.
The Modelling Tool can be used to estimate methane generation at Canadian landfills. The Technical Guidance Document provides guidance for the use of the Modelling Tool and describes approaches for monitoring of landfill gas collection systems and measuring surface methane concentrations.
The Technical Guidance Document and Modelling Tool present best practices and standardized procedures that can be implemented at any Canadian landfill, regardless of its size or regulatory status.
Request a copy of the Modelling Tool and the Technical Guidance Document.
Revenue opportunities
Greenhouse Gas Offset Credits
Under Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System, a Landfill Methane Recovery and Destruction offset protocol has been published for landfill gas recovery and destruction projects. Eligible projects will be able to generate revenue for landfill owners and project developers.
Clean Fuel Regulations
Under the federal Clean Fuel Regulations credit market, proponents that develop projects for low-carbon fuels (such as renewable natural gas produced at landfills or anaerobic digestion facilities) can create and sell compliance credits to primary suppliers of gasoline and diesel. These credits provide a revenue opportunity that supports the creation of low-carbon fuel and energy from landfill gas.
Funding programs
Emerging approaches for reducing landfill methane emissions
ECCC has funded projects to conduct pilot tests of emerging monitoring technologies that can help reduce methane emissions at landfills. The funded projects consist of the installation, operation and evaluation of emerging technologies including:
- measurement systems that can identify methane hotspots and leaks and/or quantify the total site emission rate
- automated wellfield monitoring and tuning systems that can be added to existing landfill gas collection systems to maximize efficiency
- biosystems that can reduce landfill methane emissions by encouraging oxidation of methane by bacteria
Find out more about five projects supported by the Emerging approaches for reducing landfill methane emissions fund.
Food waste prevention and diversion: Research and capacity building fund
ECCC has funded research and capacity building projects that seek to prevent food waste generation and/or divert more food and other organic waste from landfill. Funded projects support two primary focus areas:
- research activities, such as demonstration projects, pilots, and other research projects to help inform program specifications and policy development that optimize food waste prevention and diversion
- capacity building activities, such as the development of guidance resources and toolkits, and knowledge sharing initiatives that connect experts across sectors and disciplines to facilitate information exchange and skills development
Find out more about the projects supported by the Food waste prevention and diversion: Research and capacity building fund.
Other funding programs
Although not specific to the waste sector, projects that research or take action to avoid or reduce methane emissions from landfills or create low-carbon energy or fuels from waste may be eligible under several federal funding programs, including:
- Environmental Damages Fund
- Green Municipal Fund – Organic Waste-to-Energy Offer
- Canada Community-Building Fund
- Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
International engagement
Canada is co-convening the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) with the European Union and is one of over 150 countries to join the GMP.
The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is an international partnership dedicated to reducing methane emissions, as well as recovering and using methane as a clean energy source.
Contact us
Place Vincent Massey Building
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Toll-free: 1-800-668-6767
Email:enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca