What 4 countries that are successfully cutting waste methane have in common

Countries are proving that cutting methane emissions from the waste sector is not only possible—it’s already happening. From food waste prevention and organics diversion to dumpsite rehabilitation and sanitary landfill design, a growing number of governments have been implementing practical, scalable solutions to tackle methane, one of the world’s most potent climate pollutants. The result? Real, measurable reductions in emissions over the past three decades.

Waste methane accounts for roughly 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, primarily from landfills. Yet the solutions are well known, technologically feasible, relatively cost-effective, and can reduce up to 80% of methane emissions from the sector. As highlighted in CATF’s Waste Methane Policy Toolkit, governments have a range of proven approaches to dramatically cut emissions from this overlooked sector.

To understand where this progress is taking place, CATF analyzed changes in waste sector methane emissions between 1995 and 2021 from two key sources: the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) and the national inventories submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC).¹ Our analysis focused on methane emissions from solid waste disposal, biological treatment of waste, incineration and open burning, and wastewater treatment and discharge. We complemented this analysis with waste flow statistics from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

While there are some inconsistencies between UNFCCC and EDGAR data, clear trends emerge: several countries have achieved sustained declines in methane emissions from waste. Understanding where and how methane reductions occurred can offer valuable lessons for policymakers and other stakeholders looking to replicate success.

Where are reductions happening? 

Despite rising populations, dozens of countries have reported cuts in methane emissions from the waste sector since 1995. Most of these reductions are concentrated in high-income countries, particularly across Europe, where long-standing environmental regulations, strong institutions, and sustained investments in waste infrastructure have driven progress. Germany and the UK, for instance, have cut their waste methane emissions by more than 70% since 1995 even as their waste generation increased.  

Other European countries, such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and Finland, show similar downward trends. Beyond Europe, Australia and Japan have also reported substantial reductions in waste sector methane emissions.

What do successful countries have in common? 

Countries that have successfully reduced methane have followed different paths, yet their success stories share common threads. Their progress has been driven by a well-rounded policy toolbox, which includes a combination of:

• Legislation and regulations to directly influence or intervene with waste management (e.g., landfill restrictions)  

• Market-based tools to shift the cost burden of waste management to polluters (e.g., landfill taxes) 

• Information exchange and public education to strengthen policy implementation and change attitudes and behaviors on resource consumption and waste management 

• Voluntary agreements to encourage entities to achieve policy goals without the risk of penalties for noncompliance 

These approaches have not operated in isolation; rather, they have reinforced one another, creating an enabling environment to sustain long-term reductions.  

Below, we look at four countries that have achieved large-scale reductions in waste methane and the policies that made it possible. 

Germany 

Figure 1: Germany Waste Flows and Methane Emissions (1995-2021) 

Germany’s waste sector methane emissions fell by more than 90% between 1995 and 2021, even though population and waste generation increased by 2% and 6% respectively. As shown in Figure 1, the amount of waste landfilled decreased by 98% between 1995 and 2006. During this same period, recycling increased by 58% and composting by 14%, while incineration rose by 92%. From 2006 to 2021, recycling continued to grow by 19% and composting by 62%, reflecting Germany’s commitment to diverting organic waste from landfills. Meanwhile, incineration dropped by 8%, highlighting Germany’s growing focus on achieving a circular economy that prioritizes recycling and reuse over incineration. Landfilling continued to fall, reaching less than 1% of total waste generated in 2021. Germany’s experience highlights that significant methane reductions are achievable through a coordinated mix of strategies: 

• Legislative and Regulatory: Germany’s legal framework for waste management dates back to the 1970s. A major turning point came in 1993 when the country adopted the Technical Ordinance on Municipal Solid Waste (TASi), which made landfill gas capture compulsory and banned the landfilling of untreated municipal solid waste from June 2005 onward. Germany’s Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act of 1996, which was amended in 2012 to be the Circular Economy Law, regulated the separation and recycling of organic waste and promoted producer responsibility. The European Commission’s (EC) 1999 Landfill Directive—which required member states to landfill less than 10% of municipal solid waste generated by 2035—served as a catalyst for Germany’s 2001 Waste Disposal Ordinance. This Ordinance aligned with the EU Directive and reinforced the landfill ban in 2005. It was later incorporated into the 2009 Ordinance Simplifying Landfill Law, which consolidates the 1993 TASi, 2001 Waste Disposal Ordinance, and other landfill regulations into one unified framework.  

• Market-Based: At the municipal level, municipalities charge citizens a fee for waste management services. Some municipalities have pay-as-you throw systems, where citizens are charged a fee based on the amount of waste they dispose of. At the national level, funding programs, such as the National Climate Protection Initiative, provide financial support to improve landfill practices. For example, in 2019, the Initiative announced 62 million euros in funding for measures that optimize gas capture in landfills.  

• Information and Education: Nationwide campaigns, such as the Biotonne Deutscheland, promote the collection of more recyclable organic waste. Quality standards established under the Ordinance on the Recovery of Biowaste of 1998 set the standards for compost and digestate produced from anaerobic digestion facilities. 

• Voluntary Agreements: Germany participates in international partnerships that complement its domestic waste methane reduction efforts. As a member of the Global Methane Initiative, Germany collaborates with other countries to share best practices for reducing methane emissions from the waste sector. Germany is also a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge. 

United Kingdom 

Figure 2: UK Waste Flows and Methane Emissions (1995-2021) 

Between 1995 and 2021, the UK reduced methane emissions by 77%, even as population and waste generation increased by 20% and 8% respectively. As shown in Figure 2, even though landfilling increased between 1995 and 2002, methane emissions declined since all new landfill sites after 1994 had to collect, use, or flare methane emissions. Landfilling began to drop in 2002 and fell by 88% by 2021. During the same period, recycling more than doubled and composting grew fivefold, reflecting the country’s focus on organics diversion. Incineration also rose fourfold, though its future role may shrink as the UK government plans to limit the construction of new incinerators due to pollution and other environmental concerns. Like Germany, the UK adopted a combination of approaches that contributed to the decline in emissions: 

• Legislative and Regulatory: As an EU member state at the time, the UK was also subject to the EC 1999 Landfill Directive, which it implemented domestically through the 2002 Landfill Regulation. This regulation placed restrictions on what could be landfilled and imposed strict standards for the operation and management of landfills. The UK also issued a Waste Strategy in 2000, which sets a vision for sustainable waste management in England and Wales for the following 20 years. 

• Market-Based: One of the UK’s most powerful market-based tools was its landfill tax, introduced in 1996 through the Finance Act of 1966. The tax aimed to reduce landfilling by making it more expensive and encourage alternatives like recycling and incineration with energy recovery. In 2004, England introduced the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS), where waste disposal authorities are allocated a certain number of landfill allowances that give them the right to dispose of biodegradable waste at landfills. Authorities could trade the allowances, borrow from future allocations, or bank them for later use. LATS was discontinued in 2013 due to administrative and political issues and replaced with a similar Landfill Allowance Scheme that was only in place in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  

• Information and Education: The UK’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign was a nationwide campaign that raises awareness on reducing food waste to save money and minimize climate impacts. The campaign provides individuals and households with practical meal planning, storage, and portion control tips to minimize waste.  

• Voluntary Agreements: Like Germany, the UK is a member of the Global Methane Initiative and a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge. In addition, the UK government supported the Courtauld Commitment, now known as the UK Food and Drink Pact, a voluntary agreement across hundreds of organizations across the food and drink supply chain to reduce food packaging and food waste.  

Japan 

Figure 3: Japan Waste Flows and Methane Emissions (1995-2021) 

Since 1995, Japan has reduced its waste sector methane emissions by 73%. Part of this decline is linked to demographic and consumption trends. The country’s population growth has remained constant and has been trending slightly downwards since 2008. Its waste generation has decreased by 30%, driven in part by population decline as well as a series of laws and initiatives that promote waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Between 1995 and 2021, Japan drastically reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by 94%, diverting them to recycling and incineration facilities (see Figure 3). Composting remained minimal, but steadily increased after 2011. Around 70-80% of Japan’s waste is diverted to incineration with energy recovery. However, like Germany and the UK, Japan is reducing incineration capacity and honing its focus on building robust recycling programs and promoting waste reduction. Japan’s approach to managing methane from the waste sector include:  

• Legislative and Regulatory: Over the past several decades, Japan has enacted and revised several laws to promote the proper management of solid waste. In 1991, Japan revised its Waste Management Act to include the goal of reducing waste and promoting sorted collection and recycling. This act was revised again in 1997 to include increased penalties for illegal dumping of waste among other provisions. Also enacted in 1991 was the Effective Resource Utilization Promotion Act, which established rules for minimizing and managing waste through more sustainable product manufacturing and designing and efficient waste collection and recycling systems. In 2000, Japan enacted the Food Recycling Act, which defined the rules for reducing food waste generation by different generators, as well as recycling and treating the waste.  

• Market-Based: Japanese municipalities are required to charge fees for municipal waste management per the Basic Policy for the Comprehensive and Systematic Promotion of Measures for the Reduction and Other Appropriate Disposal of Waste. In addition, the Grant Program for Establishing Sound Material-Cycle Society provided funding to municipalities to improve waste treatment facilities. 

• Information and Education: Japan’s Food Loss Reduction Promotion Act of 2019 was enacted to encourage Japanese people to reduce food loss and waste. The Act requires relevant ministries to conduct surveys, raise awareness among the public, and provide support for food loss and waste.  

• Voluntary Agreements: Like the UK and Germany, Japan was a member of the Global Methane Initiative and a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge. 

Australia 

Figure 4: Australia Waste Flows and Methane Emissions (1995-2021) 

Australia took a more decentralized path to reducing waste sector methane emissions, relying instead on state- and territory-led initiatives until the introduction of a unified waste policy in 2009. Between 1995 and 2020,² the country reduced 47% of methane emissions from the waste sector. As shown in Figure 4, Australia did not have OECD waste flow data available until 2007. Between 2007 and 2021, Australia’s population and waste generation grew by 23% and 6% respectively, while landfilling remained relatively stable in absolute terms but declined modestly, both per capita and as a share of total waste generated. Over this period, recycling levels fluctuated, while composting grew by 35%. Unlike Germany, the UK, and Japan, Australia has relied more heavily on recycling than incineration to divert waste. Australia’s progress in reducing methane has been driven by the following approaches: 

• Legislative and Regulatory: Australia’s first national framework for managing waste was The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). This strategy provided the guiding principles for the efficient use of resources and responsible disposal of waste. Australia did not have a waste-sector-specific national policy until 2009, with the introduction of the National Waste Policy. This policy builds on the National Strategy for ESD by setting goals, strategies, and responsibilities for reducing waste generation, increasing recycling, and minimizing the environmental impacts of waste disposal by 2020. In 2018, the Australian government updated the National Waste Policy, which sharpens the country’s focus on a circular economy and extends targets to 2030. Beyond a broad waste policy, Australia introduced a National Food Wase Strategy in 2017 with priority areas and approaches for reducing food loss and waste.   

• Market-Based: Australia did not have a nationwide landfill ban. Instead, landfill bans or restrictions were implemented at the state or territory level. For example, the Protection of the Environment Operations Act of 1997 requires waste facilities in New South Wales to pay waste levy to reduce landfilling and promote recycling. Similar waste levies were implemented in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, and the Australia Capital Territory later. To incentivize landfill gas projects, Australia introduced the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme (ACCU), established under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act of 2011. This scheme allows project developers to register landfill gas capture and destruction projects and earn carbon credits for verified reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  

• Information and Education: Following the release of the National Food Waste Strategy, Australia introduced several nationwide campaigns to reduce food waste. In 2018, Australia launched the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Center (CRC), bringing together industry, research experts, and the public to research new strategies for reducing food waste. In 2020, Australia launched Stop Food Waste Australia (SFWA), a subsidiary of Fight Food Waste CRC, to serve as a platform for organizations along the food supply chain to collaborate and halve food waste by 2030. Currently, SFWA and Fight Food Waste CRC have merged to form End Food Waste Australia, an organization that leads cutting-edge research, drives industry collaboration, and runs behavioral change campaigns to reduce food waste nationwide.  

• Voluntary Agreements: Australia became a Global Methane Initiative member in 2004 and signed the Global Methane Pledge in 2022. 

Turning lessons into global action 

Countries like Germany, the UK, Japan, and Australia have proven that with the right mix of strong policies, smart financing, and public buy-in, it is possible to dramatically reduce waste methane emissions. Their success stories show that tackling methane is achievable through comprehensive and persistent efforts.

A common thread across these countries is the reduction in landfilling and prioritization of waste reduction, recycling, and recovery. Landfill gas capture and utilization also play a role in cutting methane emissions, but we were unable to include the impact of these systems here due to lack of data. In the UK, for example, early declines in methane emissions were driven in part by the installation of gas capture systems. While incineration has played a role in reducing methane by diverting waste from landfills, it is increasingly being limited in favor of circular economy approaches due to its environmental impacts. 

However, progress in implementing these solutions across the globe remains uneven. Many countries, particularly those of low and middle income, continue to face complex barriers—ranging from insufficient infrastructure and funding shortages to limited technical expertise and weak institutional capacity—that hinder sustained reductions.

Ultimately, reducing methane emissions from this sector requires more than just well-designed policies. It demands strong implementation, sustained enforcement, ongoing monitoring and evaluation, and increased investment. Looking ahead, future work should focus on building the technical and institutional capacity of governments in low-and middle-income countries, scaling access to finance, and strengthening measurement and reporting systems. These efforts can help countries close the gap between proven solutions and their widespread adoption.