A green cap for landfills

Australian scientists have tested a novel approach to dealing with the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide released from landfill sites.¹ 

Methane and carbon dioxide are released in huge volumes from landfill sites around the world. The gases are the products of the biodegradation of organic matter, a process which is accelerated when water comes into contact with the buried waste. The usual approaches to controlling landfill greenhouse gas emissions involve capping the landfill. According to Kartik Venkatraman and Nanjappa Ashwath of the department of molecular and life sciences at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton, Australia, a standard approach would be to cover the landfill with compacted clay to prevent water trickling into the landfill and speeding up the organic decay process.