The amount of municipal waste being disposed of in the United States is more than double—262 million tonnes (288.2 tons) versus 122 million tonnes in 2012—previous estimates, our new study shows. We also found that the United States has plenty of space to put it all—more than 70 years’ worth of space, actually.
Landfills are large sources of methane, comprising about 18 percent of human-made methane emissions sources in the United States, because of the decomposition of waste materials that occurs over long time spans inside of landfills.
Manhattan can be seen in the background as a crane moves World Trade Center debris at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Jan. 14, 2002. Crews at ground zero have removed 951,272 tons of debris and steel as of Jan. 3, according to city officials. That is roughly three-fourths of the 1.2 million tons that covered the area at the outset, according to estimates by FEMA. Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images
