Consultation on reducing methane emissions from Canada’s municipal solid waste landfills: share your opinion

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

Current status: Closed

Opened on January 28, 2022 and closed to new input on April 13, 2022.

Environment and Climate Change Canada sought comments on a discussion paper which outlines proposed objectives for new regulations to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills.

We reviewed the comments on the discussion paper and produced a “What We Heard Report” which summarizes the comments and next steps. Read the Reducing methane emissions from Canada’s municipal solid waste – What we heard report.

Find out more about the ongoing engagement on reducing methane emissions from Canada’s municipal solid waste landfills.

What is the issue

When organic waste – such as food, yard waste and paper products – is disposed in landfills, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This process occurs over many years, which means that the methane generated in landfills today is the result of past decades of organic waste disposal. By installing landfill gas management systems, methane can be recovered before it can be emitted to the atmosphere. The recovered landfill gas is either flared (burned) or can be used to create low-carbon energy. Diverting organic waste away from landfills to alternatives like composting, anaerobic digestion and recycling, and taking action to reduce the generation of organic waste (for example - reducing food waste at homes, businesses and institutions), will also lead to lower landfill methane emissions over the longer term.

The Government of Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan – A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy committed to develop new federal regulations to increase the number of landfills that recover and flare or utilize landfill gas. Environment and Climate Change Canada has developed a discussion paper to seek input on proposed objectives for these regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

Who should participate

All Canadians are invited to participate in this consultation. We especially want to hear from:

• landfill owners and operators
• waste management organizations
• industry experts and technology providers
• academics
• provincial, territorial and municipal governments
• Indigenous peoples
• environmental non-governmental organizations

Key questions for discussion

We would like your feedback on the outcomes that could be achieved through new federal regulations to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills. The discussion paper requests input on specific questions that will help guide the development of a proposed regulatory design, however, the key questions focus on proposed objectives for the regulations.

• Should federal regulations be developed to increase the number of landfills that take action to reduce methane emissions? Which landfills should be regulated?
• How can the regulations be designed to ensure that regulated landfills maximize methane recovery?
• Should federal regulations be designed to require or stimulate diversion of organic waste from landfills?
• Should federal regulations require or encourage the utilization of recovered methane to produce low-carbon fuels and energy?

Related information

• Reducing methane emissions from Canada’s municipal solid waste landfills – discussion paper
• Waste and greenhouse gases

Contact us

Waste Reduction and Management Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 St. Joseph Blvd., Place Vincent Massey
Gatineau QC  K1A 0H3
Email: ges-dechets-ghg-waste@ec.gc.ca