Of the nearly 1.3 million tons of waste dumped into the BFI-Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) Landfill each year, an estimated 306,000 tons are food waste. According to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the CMS Landfill is also the second-largest waste acceptor, taking in 8.7 percent of North Carolina's waste. Since a substantial portion of landfill waste consists of methane-producing material, reducing the amount of food sent to CMS through a public food waste drop-off should be a priority of the Concord City Council to address harmful methane emissions.
The EPA defines methane as a product of anaerobic decomposition of organic waste, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over 100 years, exacerbating climate change. The United Nations also confirms the global danger of methane. As a component of smog, it annually leads to one million premature deaths and complications from air pollution such as bronchitis, asthma, and permanent lung damage. Since methane has a short atmospheric lifespan, mitigation will be more effective at delaying climate change than focusing on other gases such as carbon dioxide. The health of Earth and its inhabitants makes methane prevention such a pressing issue, even within the city of Concord.
Preventing methane formation is a more effective solution than converting methane to electricity. According to the EPA, as total emissions from city-run solid waste landfills decrease, methane emissions rise, confirming that diverting food waste effectively reduces total emissions. Looking at the CMS landfill, it features a landfill-to-gas energy plant that converts methane into electricity, powering 10,000 homes annually. However, converting methane might seem like a positive fix for the environment, but it does not eliminate the source of emissions. The US EPA Wasted Food Scale ranks composting and redirecting food above landfills, even with energy recovery. 58 percent of methane emissions from landfills are caused by food, and nutrients cannot be recovered when food is sent to landfills, thereby failing to serve their purpose. For Concord, preventing the formation of landfill gases from food waste is the best choice.
Reducing waste, even a small portion, is particularly important since the CMS landfill will reach capacity in approximately 4.2 years. Once capacity is reached, a new landfill site will need to be found for waste, again disrupting the area and nearby residents with odor pollution. Although CMS is privately owned, its closure can still have consequences for taxpayers. EREF’s 2024 analysis finds that fees from privately owned facilities were 34 percent greater than those of public facilities. Since private facilities focus on supply and demand, the impending closure of NC’s largest waste receivers will likely raise prices in the Southeast, continuing the established trend. Concord’s weekly residential garbage collection may also be affected if waste trucks need to travel farther to another landfill, adding another burden on our city budget.
As one of the largest cities in North Carolina, Concord residents contribute significantly to food waste, yet the solution to positively impact their immediate environment calls for a well-designed, easy, and free program with drop-off locations. A test run in the City of Durham effectively demonstrated the importance of diverting food waste from landfills and returning it to residents, a practice that should be mirrored in our own city. Durham residents also found more power by working with their local governments, which would improve future features of food diversion programs and civic engagement.
Building on Durham’s pilot composting program, the city set out a few drop-off bins for residents to leave scraps in rather than the curbside practice. Placing bins near popular facilities, such as City Hall and the Waste Disposal and Recycling Center, makes it easy for residents to incorporate them into their routines. Concord could recreate this setup to demonstrate that city programs are highly accessible. While some curbside collection businesses such as Crown Town Compost or Scrap Daddy Composting operate regionally, people are likely discouraged from composting themselves after a long day at work. A free citywide drop-off system eliminates the economic and organizational barriers that keep Concord citizens from participating in composting programs.
The NCDEQ’s 2026 Consolidation Report states that North Carolina’s local governments recovered 1,469 tons of food waste, 17 percent more than the previous year, illustrating the advancement and initiative of civilians across North Carolina. A food waste program in one city cannot significantly divert the endless tons of waste from a landfill that accepts waste from many counties. However, systemic change begins locally. By implementing a free drop-off program, Concord can build on the state’s 30 food reduction programs and lead us towards a cleaner and more sustainable North Carolina.
The views expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Saving the Sea Organization. This piece was written as part of the Emergent Fellows Program, our summer fellowship in environmental policy and advocacy.