Landfill gas – to- Renewable Energy

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Mead Johnson Nutrition

Mead Johnson Nutrition, Evansville, completed a Landfill Gas Renewable Energy Project in May 2009. The goal of the project is to utilize landfill gas from the Laubscher Meadows Landfill (approximately five miles north of Mead Johnson Nutrition) to replace some of the company’s natural gas use, reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, and help combat climate change.

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About two-thirds of waste discarded at landfills is generally biodegradable and produces harmful gases called landfill gas as it rots and decomposes. Landfill gas is roughly composed of about 50% methane and 50% carbon dioxide. Methane is one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to global climate change and is 28 to 36 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heart in the atmosphere. But, at the same time, methane is a renewable energy source that can be used for electricity generation.

Instead of escaping into the air, landfill gas from the Laubscher Meadows Landfill is captured and used as renewable energy resource at Mead Johnson to protect our environment. Using landfill gas not only prevents methane from contributing to global climate change but also helps to reduce odors and other hazards associated with landfill gas emissions.

Mead Johnson Nutrition invested in this project to capture and utilize all the landfill gas for their energy sources. The project has an estimated capacity to reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 metric tons per year. It is equivalent to removing carbon dioxide emissions from 4,400 passenger cars or burning 125 railcars of coal or the carbon absorbed by 5,500 acres of pine forests. This project clearly demonstrates Mead Johnson’s commitment to improving the quality of life and environmental sustainability in our community.

To learn more about the project, visit their page on the project from here.

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