The landfill is often the last stop for a lot of our trash, but one local landfill is using that garbage for a more environmentally friendly purpose.
About 47 wells at the Tuscarora Landfill in Craven County dig nearly 40-feet deep into the trash and dirt mound there, all to capture gases emitted from the trash - methane gas in particular.
The Ingenco Energy Company on-site then takes that methane, and through a series of pipes, generators and engines that you would see in an 18-wheeler, the gas is converted into electricity.
That electricity powers about 2,500 homes in our area through the help of Progress Energy.
"Making it into electricity - into energy - is a win-win for everybody. We're taking garbage gas and making something out of it," said Bobbi Waters, Solid Waste Planner and Outreach Coordinator at the Coastal Environmental Partnership at the Tuscarora Landfill.
The Tuscarora Landfill was the first landfill gas-to-energy facility east of Raleigh.
And as an added bonus for the environment, this technique uses much less diesel fuel to make electricity than in traditional methods.
If you would like more information about this process or take a tour of the landfill, you can contact Bobbi Waters at 252-633-1564.