Grant: Alliance Grants

Landfills contributed 23% of Canada's human-induced methane (CH4) emissions in 2020 and have been identified as an effective target for decarbonization to combat climate change. This is because CH4 is a 25-34 times more effective greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 100-year period. To reduce emissions across the country, Canada has begun to focus on regulations to monitor and control landfill CH4 emissions. One mitigation strategy is the use of passive methane oxidation systems (PMOS), which are biologically active materials applied to the cover of a landfill that converts CH4 into CO2. These biologically active materials need to have high organic matter content, retain water, while also allowing sufficient gas flow to pass through. Finished composts have been recognised as a viable option for use in PMOS. Walker Environmental Group Inc. has identified that a waste product (referred to as compost overs), produced during the compost production process and not used in finished compost, may be effective for use in PMOS. Partnering with Walker, the proposed project seeks to: 1) assess if compost overs are viable for use in PMOS; 2) quantify the properties and effectiveness of compost overs for use in PMOS under natural conditions in Canada, and 3) develop engineering knowledge to design effective and efficient PMOS. This will be done by conducting laboratory and pilot-scale tests using compost overs and numerical modelling to measure their methane removal efficiency under varying conditions. Overall, this project seeks to reduce CH4 emissions from landfills across Canada, while creating value in a waste product that is otherwise unused.