Chile ranked first in a global list prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): the landfill in Tiltil, north of Santiago, tops the list of the 50 human-origin sites with the highest methane emissions. According to the report, this landfill emits more than 100,000 tons of methane per year, even surpassing industrial oil and gas facilities in other regions of the planet.
The study, based on data from nearly 30 satellites, also identified another Chilean landfill among the ten largest global emitters, highlighting the impact of waste management on the climate crisis.
Methane and its impact
Methane is a greenhouse gas with a warming potential up to 80 times greater than carbon dioxide in the short term. In landfills, it is produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste —food scraps, paper, cardboard, and garden waste— carried out by bacteria.
This process converts organic matter into a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere and accelerates climate change.
Local voices on waste management
For Gianfranco Ghirardelli, founder of La Caja Verde, the problem is not only in the landfills but in how waste is managed from its origin:
- “Proper waste management, especially organic waste, has become a global urgency.”
- “Companies must take responsibility for all the waste they generate, not just the priority products defined by the REP Law.”
As an example, Ghirardelli highlighted the work in educational establishments, where food scraps from school cafeterias are periodically removed and transformed into compost, which is then used in the green areas of the same schools.
Landfill issues
The UNEP report and other international studies indicate that landfills generate multiple impacts:
- Air pollution: methane and CO₂ emissions that accelerate climate change.
- Water and soil contamination: toxic leachates infiltrate underground aquifers.
- Public health risks: proliferation of pests and respiratory diseases.
- Landscape impact and fire risk: especially in open dumps, common in Latin America.
Inefficient waste management costs more than 600 billion dollars annually, according to UNEP 2024.
Global and regional situation
The International Solid Waste Association identified that of the 50 most polluting landfills in the world, 13 are in Latin America and the Caribbean, including countries like Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Haiti.
Additionally, the UN warns that plastic pollution reduces ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, reinforcing the need for a transition to a circular economy.
The case of Tiltil reflects the urgency to rethink waste management in Chile and the region. The separation of organics, composting, and waste valorization are key tools to reduce methane emissions and mitigate the climate crisis. The UN insists that breaking the dependence on landfills is essential to move towards more sustainable and resilient cities.
