Understanding Landfill Gas Capture
Launch library · evergreen read
As organic material in a landfill breaks down without oxygen, it produces landfill gas, a mixture made up mostly of methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas, which is why managing this byproduct has become a standard part of modern landfill operation rather than an afterthought.
Modern landfills install networks of wells and pipes throughout the waste to draw this gas out before it escapes uncontrolled into the atmosphere or migrates through surrounding soil. Once captured, the gas can be flared off, which converts methane into less potent carbon dioxide, or used directly as a fuel source.
Using captured landfill gas to generate electricity or heat turns what would otherwise be a purely negative byproduct into a modest energy resource, though this only addresses gas from waste already in the ground. Reducing how much organic material reaches landfill in the first place remains the more effective long term approach.