Landfill gas is comprised of approximately 50% methane and 45% carbon dioxide.

When the methane is burned to produce electricity, it is converted to water and carbon dioxide. These products are much less harmful than methane.

The US EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program reports that using landfill gas to produce electricity has a net benefit to the environment. The greenhouse gas reduction benefits from a typical 5 megawatt landfill gas project is the equivalent of planting over 80,000 acres of forest per year or removing the annual emissions of over 60,000 cars.

Photo courtesy of Onyx Waste Services of Michigan, Inc.