The Carbon Footprint of Waste

Every product thrown away carries the emissions of making it. Keeping material in use is one of the cheapest climate wins there is.

Waste has a hidden climate cost: the energy and emissions spent making, shipping and eventually dumping or burning things we no longer use. Landfills also release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Where Emissions Come From

• Making new stuff instead of reusing what exists.
• Landfill methane from rotting organic waste.
• Transport and treatment of mixed rubbish.

Sorting Cuts Carbon

Reducing what you buy is step one. After that, reuse, recycling and composting avoid virgin production and capture methane as energy (see our biogas guide). Good sorting is climate action you do at the bin.

Related Reading

See reduce, reuse, recycle, anaerobic digestion, and the circular economy.

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