Did you know that landfills with gas collection systems can recycle nearly 25% of the material deposited in the landfill? That makes landfills some of the largest recycling operations in the U.S. Here is the best part. The gas created and captured is re-used for energy transformation! From methane to BTUs, the landfill operated by Waste Connections/Oklahoma Landfill is harvesting gas emissions as a renewable energy source for natural gas. The 13-year-old sustainability initiative produces enough BTUs to supply approximately 20,000 homes. As organic waste breaks down in municipal solid waste landfills, methane gas is created. Landfill methane is normally consumed (incinerated) in a flare rather than being discharged to the atmosphere.

The landfill gas-to-energy initiative provides an alternative to flaring. A vast majority of the landfills’ methane gas is harvested through a perforated piping system of drilled gas extraction wells. Aria Natural Energy operates the landfill gas-to-energy facility that produces renewal energy by capturing and processing the methane gas generated at the landfill through organic decomposition. It’s a constant source of energy that is running all the time, making Waste Connections-Oklahoma landfill a good neighbor and good environmental steward in the community.