Municipal Solid Waste
Municipal solid waste (MSW) management and treatment activities are sources of methane (CH4) emissions worldwide. There are opportunities to reduce CH4 emissions by collecting the CH4 containing landfill gas and using it to fuel boilers, engines, or other technologies. CH4 emissions from MSW can also be reduced by modifying how the waste is treated. For example, organic fractions of the MSW stream can be diverted from landfills and instead disposed of at anaerobic digesters, composting facilities, or waste-to-energy facilities. Using these climate friendly MSW solutions can yield energy, economic, environmental, and public health benefits.
Country Action Plans
- Argentina (PDF, 4 pp, 98 KB)
- Australia (PDF, 14 pp, 163 KB)
- Brazil (PDF, 57 pp, 2.4 MB)
- Canada (PDF, 12 pp, 168 KB)
- China (PDF, 7 pp, 142 KB)
- Italy (PDF, 11 pp, 265 KB)
- Japan (PDF, 1 pp, 122 KB)
- Nicaragua (PDF, 22 pp, 710 KB)
- United Kingdom (PDF, 5 pp, 129 KB)
- United States (PDF, 13 pp, 242 KB)
The GMI Steering Committee approved revised sector action plan guidance (PDF, 3 pp, 108 KB) at the October 2011 Krakow meeting. Country representatives are encouraged to use this guidance in updating existing plans or in developing new plans. Please submit revised or new plans to the Administrative Support Group for inclusion on this page.
Global Methane Initiative Municipal Solid Waste Events
- 12 March 2013
Methane Expo 2013
Vancouver, Canada - 19 November 2012
Municipal Solid Waste Subcommittee Meeting
**Internet Meeting**, United States - 02 July 2012
Agriculture, Municipal Solid Waste, and Municipal Wastewater Subcommittee Meetings
Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore - 07 May 2012
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
**Internet Meeting**, United States - 12 October 2011
GMI Partnership-Wide Meeting 2011
Krakow, Poland - 01 July 2011
GMI Landfill Gas Workshop - Chile
Santiago de Chile, Chile - 29 June 2011
International Biogas Conference and Expo- Chile
Santiago de Chile, Chile - 01 June 2011
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
**Webinar**, United States - 09 December 2010
ISWA Beacon Conference 2010: Public - Private Partnership and Hazardous Waste in Developing Countries in South Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Mediterranean Region
Novi Sad, Serbia - 08 December 2010
Global Methane Initiative Side Event UNFCCC 16TH Conference of the Parties
Cancun, Mexico - 11 November 2010
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Sant’Elena Hotel, Venice, Italy - 11 November 2010
Wastewater Task Force Meeting
Sant’Elena Hotel, Venice, Italy - 08 November 2010
Management and Regulation of Solid Waste Utilities: Energy
Brasilia, Brazil - 02 November 2010
Waste Treatment Industry Promotion in Kazakhstan and International Waste Management Expertise Waste Central Asia 2010
Almaty, Kazakhstan - 01 November 2010
Carbon Market Insights Americas
New York, New York, United States - 28 September 2010
Carbon TradeEx America Tradeshow & Conference
Chicago, Illinois, United States - 17 September 2010
Advancing LFGE Projects
Ribeirao Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil - 26 August 2010
8th National Congress ICLEI Mexico: LFG Workshop
Cancun, Mexico - 15 August 2010
WASTECON 2010
Boston, Massachusetts, United States - 29 June 2010
ORBIT 2010: Organic Resources in the Carbon Economy
Crete, Greece - 02 June 2010
Creating Viable Landfill Gas to Energy Projects in Latin America
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 11 May 2010
Bioenergy Markets Africa
Maputo, Mozambique - 03 May 2010
FICCI Landfill Gas-to-Energy Study Tour
Georgia, United States - 22 April 2010
Landfill Operations Workshop
Neuquén, Argentina - 21 April 2010
Meeting with Provence of Buenos Aires, Argentina to discuss opportunities for future collaboration
Neuquen, Argentina - 19 April 2010
Landfill Gas to Energy Workshops and Site Tour
Changsha, China - 15 April 2010
Landfill Gas to Energy Workshops and Site Tour
Wuhan, China - 14 April 2010
Methane to Markets Landfill Gas to Energy Basics for Environmental Regulatory Officials in the State of Minas Gerais
Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil - 12 April 2010
Landfill Gas to Energy Workshops and Site Tour
Jinan, China - 05 March 2010
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
New Delhi, India - 02 March 2010
Methane to Markets Partnership Expo
New Dehli, India - 14 December 2009
Landfill Gas to Energy Workshop
Bangkok, Thailand - 11 December 2009
Methane to Markets Landfill Gas to Energy workshop for the ISWA-Beacon Conference
Novi Sad, Serbia - 09 December 2009
M2M Phillippine Landfill Gas Workshop
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines - 27 October 2009
Landfill Sector Methane to Markets Gas Modelling Workshop
Beijing, China - 27 October 2009
Landfill Operations Workshop
Fortaleza, Brazil - 21 September 2009
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Long Beach, CA, United States - 13 August 2009
Landfill Gas Energy Workshop
Armenia, Colombia - 28 April 2009
Landfill Operations and Landfill Gas Workshop
Medellin, Colombia - 26 March 2009
Landfill Gas Modeling Workshop
Guadalajara, Mexico - 27 January 2009
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Monterrey, Mexico - 27 January 2009
Landfill Technology Transfer Workshop: A Workshop on Barriers to Project Development and Landfill Biogas Project Successes
Monterrey, Mexico - 04 December 2008
Landfill Operations Workshop
Cancun, Mexico - 01 December 2008
UNFCCC 14th Conference of the Parties (COP)
Pozan, Poland - 04 November 2008
Landfill Methane to Markets Workshop
Qubus Hote, Krakow, Poland - 03 November 2008
International Solid Waste Association and Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore World Congress
Suntec City, Singapore - 22 October 2008
APLAS - The Fifth Asian-Pacific Landfill Symposium
Sapporo, Japan - 21 October 2008
WASTECON 2008, SWANA's 46th Annual Solid Waste Exhibition
Tampa Bay, Florida, United States - 10 October 2008
Landfill Operations Training Course
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 09 October 2008
Environmental and Public Utilities Seminar
Bogota, Colombia - 24 September 2008
China Carbon Congress 2008
Hainan, China - 16 September 2008
Carbon Markets USA
Washington, D.C., United States - 07 September 2008
Global Waste Management Symposium
Copper Mountain, Colorado, United States - 18 June 2008
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 17 June 2008
Citywaste Asia 2008
Rasa Sentosa Resort, Singapore - 02 June 2008
SBSTA Meeting
Bonn, Germany - 15 May 2008
Navigating the Carbon World
Marriot Hotel and Marina,San Diego , CA, United States - 07 May 2008
Carbon Expo
Cologne, Germany - 15 April 2008
Carbonmarkets Americas
Sao Paulo, Brazil - 02 April 2008
Cooperation for Waste Issues - 5th International Conference on Solid Waste, Sewage and Air Emissions Management
Kharkiv, Ukraine - 31 March 2008
Training Workshops on Energy Recovery, Greenhouse Gas Reductins, and Carbon Financing
Shenzhen and Beijing, China - 11 March 2008
Carbon Market Insights
Copenhagen, Denmark - 04 March 2008
WIREC Side Event - Methane to Markets Partnership: International Opportunities in Renewable Energy Projects in Landfills and Manure Waste Management
Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, United States - 30 October 2007
Steering Committee Meeting
China World Hotel - Beijing, China - 30 October 2007
Methane to Markets Beijing Expo
Beijing, China - 01 October 2007
International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium
Sardinia, Italy - 24 September 2007
ISWA/NVRD World Congress 2007
Amsterdam, Netherlands - 27 August 2007
Exploring Opportunities for Landfill Biogas Projects in Latin America
Guayaquil, Ecuador - 09 May 2007
Waste to Energy International Exhibition & Conference for Energy from Waste and Biomass
Bremen, Germany - 04 May 2007
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Blauer Salon, Koeln Messe, Cologne, Germany - 14 December 2006
Steering Committee Meeting
Grand Hotel Plaza, Via Del Corso, Rome,, Italy - 29 November 2006
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Hotel Oro Verde, Cuenca, Ecuador - 07 November 2006
Landfill Methane to Markets Specialized Workshop
Rimini, Italy - 23 October 2006
Second International Conference on JI Projects in Ukraine - "Climate Change and Business"
Kiev, Ukraine - 18 October 2006
Fourth Asian-Pacific Landfill Symposium
Shanghai, China - 18 September 2006
Third International Conference on Biomass for Energy
Kiev, Ukraine - 05 September 2006
2006 WASTECON Biennial Conference & Exhibition
Somerset West, Cape Town, South Africa - 12 May 2006
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Cologne, Germany - 10 May 2006
CARBON EXPO - Global Carbon Market Fair & Conference
Cologne, Germany - 09 May 2006
ISWA Beacon Conference: Waste Treatment and Final Destination
Expo Center Norte - Yellow Pavillion, Sao Paulo, Brazil - 28 March 2006
Carbon Markets America
Pestana Rio Atlantica Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 27 March 2006
SWANA's 29th Landfill Gas Symposium
Hilton St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg FL, United States - 22 March 2006
Latin American Carbon Forum
Quito, Ecuador - 09 March 2006
Landfill Gas to Energy Workshop
Delhi, India - 13 June 2005
Landfill Subcommittee Meeting
Palace Hotel, Torquay, United Kingdom - 09 June 2005
Private Sector Outreach Workshop
Washington, DC, United States - 31 May 2005
Landfill Methane to Markets Workshop
Moscow, Russia
