Landfill gas (LFG)
Methane-rich gas produced as organic waste decomposes in a landfill.
As organic material such as wood breaks down without oxygen in a landfill, it produces landfill gas, mostly methane and carbon dioxide. Many landfills collect it and either flare it or burn it to generate electricity.
EPA's WARM model calculates landfill emission factors for three landfill types: no gas recovery, recovery with flaring, and recovery with electricity generation, and a national average weighted by how common each is. For dimensional lumber the net factors are −0.92, −1.01 and −1.02 MTCO2E per short ton, and −0.92 at the national average (Exhibits 12-3 and 12-16).
Wood produces relatively little methane per ton in WARM, so the gas setting changes pallet results only slightly. See choosing a landfill setting.
Your hauler or landfill operator can usually tell you whether gas is collected at the site you use.
Sources
- Documentation for Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Factors Used in WARM, Version 16: Construction Materials Chapters, ch. 12 Wood Products (EPA-530-R-23-020) U.S. EPA. Accessed October 27, 2026. Exhibits 12-3 (p. 12-3), 12-9, 12-13, 12-15 and 12-16 (p. 12-10).