New Jersey: Powered by Garbage

New Jersey is capturing a man-made natural resource of sorts – they’re mining their garbage dumps for energy. For several years now, the garden state has been turning decades worth of household trash into a consistent source of power. Methane gas produced by decomposing garbage is captured and used as fuel to generate electricity.

21 landfills in New Jersey use this garbage to power system, and are amongst 455 throughout the country who do the same. Future plans include setting up solar and wind farms inside the landfill property to further capitalize on the underused land.

[via Philadelphia Inquirer]