Large quantities of wastes are generated from the rapid increase in livestock, growth of agriculture and food processing industries and accumulation of municipal solid wastes. This has led to higher methane emissions, increasing the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere that affects the climate system. To address the rising emissions, efforts are being directed towards using methane as a clean energy source, at the same time cleaning the environment and deriving economic benefits therefrom.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) is helping harness energy from landfill waste by promoting the recovery and use of methane.
Methane, a hydrocarbon, is the second most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. It has the ability to trap heat in the atmosphere, which is called “global warming potential.” As a greenhouse gas, methane is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.