Catch, Burn, or Vent Isn’t Enough for Landfill Methane

Landfills don’t just store our trash — they quietly produce methane, a potent climate pollutant that’s about 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 20-year period. Methane from decomposing organic waste - such as food, paper and cardboard - accounts for about 11% of global anthropogenic methane emissions and 14.3% of all U.S. methane emissions in 2021. Even as we work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and methane leaks from other industries, landfill methane presents a considerable opportunity to reduce the amount of methane in the atmosphere and reduce warming today.

Modern landfills are heavily regulated and carefully engineered. Some larger landfills have methane collection systems that turn methane gas into electricity or burn what is not collected. But we can do better.

Flares and Gas-to-Energy Projects Don’t Catch Everything

• Even well-engineered collection systems miss emissions. In a 2024 satellite-based study, actual landfill emissions were about 50 percent higher than operators report because collection efficiency is closer to 50 percent, not the 75 percent assumed in regulations.

• Point-source “super-emitters” are common. Airborne surveys found 52 percent of U.S. landfills have persistent point-source plumes that dominate facility-wide emissions. 

• You can’t burn what won’t light. Standard flares can’t perform when methane falls below a certain concentration. Therefore, operators must vent low-intensity gas directly into the air.

Bennu’s Solution Can Eliminate Methane That Escapes Capture

Bennu’s technology recreates the natural reaction of UV light, ozone and methane, which converts methane into CO₂ and water. The gas isn’t captured; it’s eliminated, permanently. It’s a smart solution for many industries with methane challenges, from oil and gas to shipping to landfills. 

Our technology can: 

• Operate in regular ambient air — no pipelines or compressors required. 

• Scale impact by proximity. The higher the methane concentration, the more efficient our technology becomes. That means operators can integrate our technology into existing capture systems to enhance their impact.

• Stay simple and affordable. Bennu is a low-risk, high-reward solution. It’s compact, simple to operate, and can easily comply with all permitting requirements. 

Bennu technology complements existing methane efforts at landfills by addressing the emissions that evade current mitigation efforts. 

The Bottom Line

Even the best landfill capture systems miss methane emissions, and much of the gas they do capture can’t be burned economically or without creating additional environmental challenges. By adding Bennu arrays at key gas stream points, landfill operators can reduce a hard-to-mitigate portion of their methane footprint affordably and continuously.

In an era where every avoided ton of methane matters, that’s a win for site owners, regulators and the climate.