The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched an online waste-to-biogas mapping tool to support the use of organic waste for energy projects in the Pacific Southwest region.
The tool is an interactive map created to link food and other biodegradable waste sources with facilities that can enhance energy production with their existing infrastructure.
Wastewater treatment plants and some dairies manage waste with anaerobic digesters, which produce methane-rich biogas as a natural byproduct. By adding food scraps or fats, oils, and grease to an anaerobic digester, facilities can increase biogas production to make money, provide a renewable energy source, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The tool will help restaurants, hotels, and other food waste generators to connect with large energy producers so that waste doesn’t end up in landfills or sewer lines.
At present, there are no plans to expand the project to other regions. To explore the mapping tool for your Pacific Southwest property, visit epa.gov/region9/biogas.