The Solid Waste Industry for Climate Solutions (SWICS) Landfill Emissions Model (LEM) was developed in 2023 and enhances the 2009 SWICS methodology to be entirely data-driven. The industry aims to publish and publicly share the model, which can be used for sustainability reporting and uses unique data points to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reductions at the landfill. As an industry, we are beginning to transition landfill’s sustainability reporting to utilize SWICS LEM. As the model is more data-driven, it requires sites to collect further information than what was originally used in SWICS, and what is currently gathered for GHG reporting. This leads to sites needing to compile further information for sustainability purposes. But, to what extent do the SWICS LEM data collection requirements differ? This presentation aims to discuss how sites can prepare for gathering the necessary information for inputting into SWICS LEM. The discussion will compare how the SWICS LEM data inputs differ from the information that sites compile for GHG reports and the previous SWICS model. By doing so, sites can begin to prepare for their sustainability reporting transition and identify where further data preparations may be needed for a fluent shift to this new landfill emissions model. 

After attending this session, participants will be able to:  

• Prepare their data- and information-gathering to be ready for the shift to the Solid Waste Industry for Climate Solutions (SWICS) Landfill Emissions Model (LEM). 

• Recognize the differences in data inputs for SWICS LEM compared to information gathered for GHG reporting. 

• Differentiate between reporting emissions from operations and activities for sustainability reporting compared to a site’s regulatory GHG reporting.