The purpose of this study was to determine the releasing behavior of copper in municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfill with respect to refuse and leachate as an inseparable system. Two simulated bioreactor landfills, one with leachate recirculation and the other without, were operated in room temperature for 320 days. Copper in refuse showed behaviors of staggered migration and retention, which corresponded with the degradation process of landfill obviously. The significant different amounts of Cu2+ leached out from refuse into leachate of two landfills were 24.74 mg and 118.53 mg after 320 days' operation, respectively. It also reflected the releasing behavior of copper in landfill refuse at different stage accordingly. The results confirmed that the refuse in landfill had high potential of secondary pollution after closure.