How does trash/ rubbish affect climate change when it goes hot?

When organic waste decomposes, carbon dioxide and methane gas is created. Methane is created when there is no air present, while carbon dioxide is the natural product when anything rots in air. So, basically – methane is produced when food goes to landfill, and carbon dioxide is produced when food is composted. As you probably know, carbon dioxide and methane are both greenhouse gases that are responsible for climate change. But methane is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. So composting is better than sending food waste to the tip, but a better solution is for us to minimise food waste wherever we can.

The production and disposal of other types of waste also produces greenhouse gases, because these processes use natural resources such as water and fuel. Plastic waste produces greenhouse gas emissions during every stage of its lifecycle. The production and transport of plastic is dependent on oil, gas, and coal and so releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In fact, waste management in general – including transportation, incineration, and other processing – is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.