Naked Science Forum

General Science => Question of the Week => Topic started by: Adam Murphy on 30/07/2020 15:14:09

Title: QotW - 20.07.30 - Does burying paper sequester carbon?
Post by: Adam Murphy on 30/07/2020 15:14:09

Johnny got in touch to ask:

"Does burying paper in a landfill sequester carbon?"

Can anyone dig up an answer?

Title: Re: QotW - 20.07.30 - Does burying paper sequester carbon?
Post by: evan_au on 01/08/2020 01:44:21

Probably not for very long.

In a landfill, paper is mixed with water and other chemicals (some from food waste).
This encourages the growth of a bacterial ecosystem which will break down many of these chemicals, producing carbon dioxide, which will escape into the atmosphere from the landfill.

Even worse, it may escape as methane, which is a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.