How Biogas Can Help the U.S. Reduce Food Waste: A Sustainable Strategy
This article is a guest contribution by Patrick Serfass, the executive director of the American Biogas Council. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
In the United States, an astonishing 92 billion pounds of food are discarded every year, translating to about 38% of the total food supply either going unsold or uneaten. This wasted food contributes to 58% of methane emissions from landfills, marking it as a significant greenhouse gas.
Recently, the White House unveiled a strategy to combat food waste and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions in the “National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.” Formulated by the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and Food and Drug Administration, this strategy sets the ambitious goal of halving food loss and waste in the U.S. by 2030.
A standout solution outlined in this plan is the implementation of biogas systems, which play a vital role in mitigating methane emissions associated with food waste. These systems utilize anaerobic digestion to harness the renewable energy potential of organic waste. By processing food scraps destined for landfills, anaerobic digesters employ natural microorganisms to generate methane in a controlled setting, allowing it to be used as an alternative to conventional natural gas for heating and electricity generation.
Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council
Permission granted by American Biogas Council
Biogas systems are not only effective in lowering greenhouse gas emissions from landfills but also reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Furthermore, the end product is nutrient-rich material that can substitute synthetic fertilizers, promoting healthier soil.
Various state and federal initiatives are now available to provide funding or tax incentives for the development of facilities that convert food waste into renewable energy. Currently, the U.S. boasts 110 biogas facilities that utilize food waste for energy production, with three more established in 2023, according to the American Biogas Council. Nevertheless, industry experts believe that over 2,000 additional food waste biogas systems could be set up nationwide, indicating we are utilizing merely 5% of the available potential.
With the possibility of hundreds more biogas facilities being constructed, we have a viable solution to the intertwined issues of food waste and methane emissions. A recent report by the nonprofit Energy Vision indicates that the best opportunity for the U.S. to achieve its goal of cutting methane emissions by 30% by 2030 lies in diverting uneaten food waste from landfills to biogas facilities. These systems also provide the most substantial impact on methane reduction at the lowest cost.
Biogas facilities present numerous advantages. For example, the Maryland Bioenergy Center in Jessup, Maryland, has the capability to process 110,000 tons of food waste annually, translating to 312 billion British thermal units of renewable natural gas each year along with over 15,000 tons of nutrient-rich soil amendment. Meanwhile, the Wasatch Resource Recovery facility in North Salt Lake City, Utah, has the capacity to handle 250,000 tons of source-separated food waste each year, generating 1.1 trillion Btu of renewable natural gas annually.
This facility can generate enough natural gas to supply approximately 40,000 residents or 15,000 households—a community equivalent to Bountiful, Utah. Additionally, the Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Longview, Washington, which is slated to begin operations later this year, will become the first of its type in the state, capable of processing 100,000 tons of wasted food from Washington and Oregon into carbon-negative renewable energy. It is projected to offset up to 23,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is comparable to removing 5,000 gas-powered vehicles from the roads annually.
While these facilities symbolize hopeful advancements, the U.S. is merely scratching the surface in fully adopting sustainable practices to manage food waste. To tackle the alarming issue of food waste and its contribution to climate change, there is an urgent need to hasten the establishment of food waste recycling and renewable energy facilities. By championing biogas technology and investing in its expansion, we can advance towards a more sustainable future, align with our national objectives, and create a cleaner, more efficient waste management framework.
Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.