Landfills are designated areas of land for the management and disposal of solid waste. The waste management process involves burying waste underground while isolating it from groundwater to prevent harmful contaminants from entering the environment. Landfills play a critical role in protecting public health by minimizing disease transmission and maintaining community cleanliness. According to the University of Colorado, in the United States alone, there are more than 3,000 active landfills and an additional 10,000 that have closed.
Despite their importance in waste management, landfills can have negative environmental repercussions. Although they minimize exposure to contaminants by burying waste, they do not facilitate rapid decomposition, and the gases emitted can still impact nearby communities. Despite stringent federal regulations, there is a risk of chemical toxins escaping and posing environmental hazards.
The Effects of Landfill Gas on the Environment
Landfill Gas (LFG) is produced when bacteria breaks down organic waste on a landfill site. LFG primarily consists of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), accounting for roughly 90-98% of LFG. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential that is approximately 83 times that of CO2 over its first 20 years in the atmosphere. As a result, it is responsible for more than 25% of global warming experienced today, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The remaining 2% to 10% of LFG consists of nitrogen, oxygen, ammonia, sulfides, hydrogen, and other various gases. Depending on environmental factors surrounding the landfill such as temperature, type of waste present, amount of moisture, landfill age, or oxygen content, landfills can continue to produce gases for over 50 years post-decomposition. The article stated.
American’s Producing Too Much Waste
Over the past several decades, Americans have significantly increased the volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) that they produce. In 2022, U.S. landfills released an estimated 119.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) of methane into the atmosphere, accounting for 17.1% of total U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions across all sectors, according to the most recent report by the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks.
In 2018, the total municipal solid waste reached record highs at the time, at about 292.4 million tons, approximately 23.7 million tons more than the year prior, and averaging 4.9 pounds per person of waste every day. Of that waste, 146.1 million tons of MSW were sent to landfills, food being the largest component at a little over 24 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Landfill Gas as a Reliable Energy Source
Landfill gas can be harnessed to generate electricity or heat, offering a heating value of 350 to 600 British thermal units (Btu) per cubic foot. As a result, LFG can be used in place of conventional fossil fuels in certain applications, such as boilers and engines. Because LFG is produced continuously, it provides a consistent, reliable alternative energy source. Utilizing LFG for energy production reduces methane emissions and decreases reliance on fossil fuels, thereby lowering emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants from fossil fuel combustion.
Almost any entity that requires energy can use LFG for a variety of purposes. LFG can be directly used by utilities and power providers, adding a renewable energy component to their portfolios. Municipalities, local industrial customers, and other organizations that require a constant power supply can also utilize LFG. It can be piped to nearby facilities as boiler or industrial process fuel, purified for injection into natural gas networks, or converted into renewable compressed or liquefied natural gas for vehicle fuels.
Creating RNG With Stark Tech
Stark Tech specializes in delivering scalable, comprehensive equipment solutions designed to fulfill our customers’ landfill needs. Our team of experts provide in-house engineering, design and drafting, compression skid fabrication, and customization of equipment to meet even the most unique landfill project requirements. We are committed to providing the cleanest gas, ensuring landfill gas is purified to meet pipeline quality standards. Our services include continuous monitoring and support to guarantee that all your project needs are met efficiently and effectively. Learn more out of our compression and RNG solutions here.
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Stark Tech is a market leading technology provider, delivering turnkey solutions with master systems integration, equipment, and service, and building analytics that drive sustainability goals and keep facilities on their mission. Stark Tech also manufacturers large, skidded equipment that decarbonizes and reduces greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy sources and by converting waste into renewable natural gas.
