Since 1990, emissions from landfill sites have fallen by almost 80%. That decline follows from landfill bans and better waste treatment, which means less waste has been landfilled over the years, and differently. Even so, at roughly 1.2 Mton CO₂-eq per year, landfill sites remain the largest single non-energy source in Gelderland.
The reason is the long echo of material landfilled earlier: with an unchanged volume and composition of about 600,000 tonnes per year, emissions will remain fairly stable over the coming fifty years. A historical decline therefore does not mean the problem disappears; the remaining emissions correlate with the stock of organic material that will keep forming methane for decades. Control therefore requires continued capture and less organic waste going to landfill. Source: Climate Action Recap Gelderland (industry and business sector analysis), New Economy.