How it works
When food scraps, paper, yard waste, and other organic material are buried and compacted, microbes break it down without oxygen. That process generates gas, mostly methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and can be explosive, so landfills manage it.
Operators drill wells into the waste and connect them to a network of pipes. A blower pulls the gas to a central point. From there it can be:
- Burned off in a flare
- Used to run engines or turbines for electricity
- Cleaned up and sold as pipeline-quality gas or vehicle fuel
- Piped to a nearby industrial customer as boiler fuel
Regulation
Larger municipal solid waste landfills in the United States are subject to federal air regulations under the Clean Air Act, with state agencies often handling permits and enforcement. Requirements depend on landfill size, age, and emissions levels. For specifics, contact your state environmental agency or the EPA’s landfill methane programs.
Why it matters for your business
If you operate or work with a landfill, gas management is part of your compliance, community relations, and sometimes revenue. If you are a hauler, it is part of why your customers’ disposal choices matter. Sending more organics to composting or digestion instead of burying them reduces what a landfill generates.
For marketing, this is a story with substance. Landfills and transfer operations often get questions from neighbors about odor and emissions, and a clear page on your site explaining how gas is collected and monitored is better than silence. Short videos of the wellfield, flare, or energy plant show the work in a way text cannot.
Any claims about environmental benefits should be accurate and supported by your own permits and monitoring data. Avoid vague “green” language.
Common questions
Is landfill gas renewable energy?
It comes from decomposing waste, and many programs classify it as renewable. Definitions vary by program and state.
Does every landfill capture gas?
No. Requirements depend on size and regulation, and smaller or older sites may not have collection systems.