Landfills Going Green

[missmanors]

Many of our nation's large landfills are going green by turning the methane gas that's produced by the rotting garbage into energy.

Landfills can begin to produce pockets of gas just a few hundred feet underground in a matter of a few months. This gas does need to be cleaned up before it can be used as energy, as it contains 40-50% carbon dioxide.

More than 400 landfills in 43 states are producing commercial gas, according to the EPA. The gas is used in manufacturing processes, space heating, boilers, as fuel for trucks and buses and in the generation of electricity.