Waste sector greenhouse gas emissions

Key Finding

Waste emissions include methane from the breakdown of solid wastes at a landfill, biological treatment of solid wastes, incineration and burning of waste, wastewater treatment and discharge and other sources (e.g. emissions arising from flaring of methane at a landfill site).

Emissions were 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) in 2018. This represents 2% of Queensland’s total emissions.

• This compares with 3.3 MtCO₂e in 1990.
• In 2005, emissions were 2.6 MtCO₂e.

The main sources of waste-related emissions in 2018 are:

• landfill (solid waste disposal) (70%)
• solid waste including domestic and industrial wastewater treatment (27%).

Improvements in landfill waste treatment, due to increased capture and combustion of landfill gas, since 2015 has seen a reduction in gas emissions from this source.

The biological treatment of solid waste (2%) through processes such as windrow composting commonly used in farm scale and enclosed anaerobic digestion is an emerging treatment pathway and emissions have grown 97% since 2005 levels. Incineration and open burning of waste contributed 0.3% emissions in 2018.

Queensland has the third highest share of emissions from the waste sector behind NSW and Victoria.

More information:

• State and Territory Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals’ targets

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