Making electricity from garbage costs more than making it from coal and other energy sources. The main advantage of burning solid waste is it reduces the amount of garbage dumped in landfills by 60 to 90 percent, and reduces the cost of landfill disposal. Landfill Gas Bacteria and fungi are not picky eaters. They eat dead plants and animals, causing them to rot or decay. Even though this natural process is slowed in the artificial environment of a landfill, a substance called methane gas is still produced as the waste decays.
New regulations require landfills to collect methane gas for safety and environmental reasons.
Methane gas is colorless and odorless, but it is not harmless. The gas can cause fires or explosions if it seeps into nearby homes and is ignited. Landfills can collect the methane gas, purify it, and then use it as an energy source. Methane, which is the same thing as natural gas, is a good energy source. Most gas furnaces and gas stoves use methane supplied by natural gas utility companies.