By Jana Fischback, SNCW Climate Action Coordinator
Have you ever thought about what happens to all the food waste we toss out? It ends up in a landfill where it doesn’t decompose as we might expect. Advanced as they are, modern landfills still face significant challenges, especially when it comes to a potent greenhouse gas, methane. But there are a few solutions, including new statewide legislation aimed at reducing methane emissions, plus a local project that will convert landfill gas into renewable energy. Read on to find out more about these efforts and how you can be part of the solution.
According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, an estimated one million tons of food waste is generated each year in our state. Unfortunately, even organic materials like food waste don't biodegrade in a landfill like they would if they were composted. In a landfill, they will produce greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change. The one of most concern is methane, which is a heat-trapping all-star, much stronger than carbon dioxide (C02). According to the WA Department of Ecology, landfill gas is about 50% methane, but can vary. Landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States.
It’s important to note here that timescale matters when talking about how “strong” or potent a greenhouse gas is. Methane traps a lot of heat but it also breaks down by oxidation a lot faster than the most common greenhouse gas, C02. So, if you’re concerned about the short term (lets say, 20 years), it’s over 80 times more potent than C02. Over 100 years, it’s about 30 times stronger. Why is this relevant? Well, if we want to make the biggest impact as soon as we can (yes, please!), then focusing on reducing methane reduction is a great idea.
The good news is that methane captured from landfills can be used as an energy source for generating electricity or heat, or turned into fuel called renewable natural gas, or RNG. The benefit for climate change is twofold: not only can we reduce landfill emissions, but we can also displace fossil fuels that would otherwise be used.
While our goal should be carbon-free energy sources, this can be a transitional step. Because different fossil fuels emit different amounts of carbon dioxide, natural gas is a better choice (least bad?) compared to others like coal, diesel, or gasoline.
To address the issue of methane from landfills, the Washington state legislature passed a Landfills-Methane Emissions law in 2022 and the rule went into effect in June. Municipal solid waste landfill owners and operators are now required to meet methane emission standards. In our area, WM (previously Waste Management) operates the Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill. WM has already been monitoring and capturing methane emissions from the landfill and flaring it.
Earlier this year, WM signed a contract with a Portland-based gas company, NW Natural, to build a RNG facility at the landfill. I reached out to NW Natural and was directed to their press release that states the RNG facility is expected to heat the equivalent of nearly 10,000 homes. NW Natural’s service territory covers parts of Oregon and southwest Washington. According to a January Wenatchee World article announcing the project, the gas will be delivered to Cascade Natural Gas’s pipeline, which services Wenatchee, “via a to-be-constructed pipeline pending execution of an interconnect agreement.”
The new legislation also requires landfill operators to meet requirements for controlling methane, whether that be combusting, using it for electricity, or processing it into RNG. When the RNG facility is complete at the Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill, they must achieve a leak rate of 3% or less for the system.
Nearly $10 million from Climate Commitment Act funds will help landfill owners comply with the new requirements. Patrick McCarthy, Communications Manager at WM, said it is “to be determined” whether the company will be pursuing this grant funding for our local landfill.
Since there is no way to capture 100% of the gas from landfills, the first step should always be preventing the production of methane in the first place. How do we do that? Remember those one million tons of food waste I mentioned? For starters, we can reduce the amount of organic waste we put into landfills.
Washington State now has ambitious food waste reduction goals including diverting 580,000 tons/year of food and organic waste by 2030. In North Central Washington, you can do your part by only purchasing food you will actually eat and composting your waste. Composting options include at home or using a service. At home, composting with worms indoors is arguably the best in our climate, but outdoor tumblers or piles can work, too. Local service options include sending your food waste to Winton Mfg Compost Works and/or sending your yard waste to Stemilt via WM’s curbside pick up or taking it to the Stemilt Organic Recycling Center. Together, these solutions at multiple levels can help lead us down a path toward greater sustainability in terms of waste and climate action.
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