Food Waste Generates 58% Of Landfill Methane Despite Being Just 24% Of Trash

Beneath every landfill, rotting food is quietly generating a powerful greenhouse gas. New research shows that food waste produces 58% of all methane from municipal solid waste landfills. That’s a striking number, given that food makes up just 24% of what’s buried there.

Food waste makes up just 24% of what’s buried in landfills — yet produces 58% of all landfill methane.

Methane is a greenhouse gas with a very high global warming potential. It forms when organic materials like food break down without oxygen. Landfills create exactly those conditions by burying waste deep underground. Bacteria then feed on the food, releasing methane as a byproduct.

Food waste is one of the largest materials in U.S. landfills by volume. The country discards tens of millions of tons of food every year, and much of it ends up in the ground. Food decays faster than other materials, which explains why it produces far more methane than paper, textiles, plastics, or metals.

In 2020, landfilled food waste released about 55 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. That’s equal to the yearly emissions of 15 coal-fired power plants.

U.S. landfills rank as the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the country. They trail only livestock and natural gas systems. Globally, the waste sector is reportedly responsible for nearly 20% of all human-caused methane emissions.

There’s a complicated trend happening over time. Total methane from landfills has actually been dropping since 1990. But methane from food waste specifically has been rising during that same period. Researchers say this data represents the first peer-reviewed national estimates for food waste methane contributions.

It’s also worth noting that food waste’s full climate impact doesn’t start at the landfill. A majority of methane from surplus food comes from upstream production, with the rest from disposal. Scientists say more research is still needed on methane from food waste that enters sewers. Unlike carbon dioxide, which lingers for hundreds to thousands of years, methane’s short-lived atmospheric presence means that reducing food waste today could measurably lower concentrations within the next two decades. The EPA is also releasing an update to its food waste ranking system, and research confirms that source reduction remains the most environmentally beneficial approach to managing wasted food.

✅ Claims in this article were verified using AI-assisted fact-checking.