Waste to Energy

Microbes are busy — and hungry — under the surface of the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center as they gobble up buried trash. One byproduct of their munching is methane, a greenhouse gas that can be burned and converted into water and carbon dioxide. Kent County and Granger Electric are collecting and burning methane to provide electricity to more than 1,800 homes. See how its done.

It may look peaceful when the frontloaders aren’t running, but there’s always a churning caldron of activity under the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center, where microbes feast on the more than 4 million tons of trash covered by a layer of soil. As they munch on organic matter, the anaerobic bacteria release methane, a colorless and odorless gas that can be cleaned and burned. Kent County and Granger Electric have joined forces to turn the waste methane into electricity — enough to power more than 1,800 homes. Rapid Growth takes you behind the scenes of how this creative public-private partnership turns a greenhouse gas into a valuable commodity.