Q and A
How does trash affect climate change?
Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses and is 23 times stronger than CO2 in capturing heat. One of the biggest producers of methane is decomposing garbage in landfills. This is one reason why it is important for us to reduce, reuse and recycle when ever possible. The less we have to throw away, the less garbage ends up in landfills. When there is less garbage in landfills, less methane, a greenhouse gas, is produced.
Some landfills are building technology which allows them to capture the methane gas and use it to produce electricity. This usable form of energy is referred to as biomass.
* Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States by U.S. Global Change Research Program