How does a landfill gas collection system work and what is done with the methane?
Landfill gas collection pulls methane out of buried waste, but measured capture rates vary widely and are often far below full capture.
Covers: How gas wells, headers, blowers and flares or energy plants collect and treat landfill gas, and the main uses of captured methane (flaring, electricity, pipeline gas, vehicle fuel). Does not cover landfill siting policy or detailed engineering design calculations.
Also answers: How is methane captured from landfills? · What happens to landfill gas? · How do landfill gas wells and flares work? · Is landfill methane used for electricity?
The short answer
Interpretation AI-prepared starting mapLandfill gas is mostly methane and carbon dioxide, produced as buried waste degrades. A collection system uses a network of gas wells and pipes, pulled by blowers under suction, to draw that gas out of the waste; the gas is then either flared or sent to an energy plant. How much methane is actually captured varies widely: measured collection efficiencies… 123
In brief
A collection system uses wells and a pipe network under suction to pull methane-rich gas from buried waste, then flares it or sends it to an energy plant.1
InterpretationMeasured collection efficiency is often far below 100%: 13–86% (average 50%) across Danish sites, versus 58–64% averages in Sweden, the UK and the US.2
Evidence-backedCaptured methane is mainly flared or burned for energy; where gas quality is too low for an engine, a biocover can be installed instead to oxidise methane.2
Evidence-backedEarly gas recovery with flaring and/or energy recovery is one of the two most effective landfill methane measures identified, and is relatively quick and cheap to deploy.4
Evidence-backedAt aging landfills, biocovers modelled at 70–90% methane oxidation outperformed 20–30 years of collection-plus-energy-use on climate impact, because gas keeps escaping through the cover.5
Evidence-backed
At a glance
The picture in numbers
Live · updated just now
- Denmark50%
- Sweden58%
- UK64%
- US63%
13–86%
The high estimate is 6.6 times the low one.
- biocover oxidation70–90%
- collection with energy use40–80%
70%
70 in every 100
The evidence behind it
6 sources- Other studies and data6
When it was published
Newest from 2026
| Source | Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|
| From Waste to Health: Landfill Biogas Recovery as a Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Public Health Co-Benefits in Brazil. | Other studies and data | 2026 |
| Efficiency of gas collection systems at Danish landfills and implications for regulations | Other studies and data | 2022 |
| Operational Efficiency and Environmental Risk Analysis of Landfill Gas Collection Systems | Other studies and data | 2025 |
| Controls on Landfill Gas Collection Efficiency: Instantaneous and Lifetime Performance | Other studies and data | 2009 |
| Environmental assessment of landfill gas mitigation using biocover and gas collection with energy utilisation at aging landfills | Other studies and data | 2023 |
| The impact of landfill management approaches on methane emissions | Other studies and data | 2023 |
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The full explanation
Interpretation AI-prepared starting mapLandfill gas is mostly methane and carbon dioxide, produced as buried waste degrades. A collection system uses a network of gas wells and pipes, pulled by blowers under suction, to draw that gas out of the waste; the gas is then either flared or sent to an energy plant. How much methane is actually captured varies widely: measured collection efficiencies ranged from 13% to 86% across Danish landfills (average 50%), compared with averages of 58% in Sweden, 64% in the UK and 63% in the US. Instantaneous efficiencies of 50% to near 100% are reported depending on cover type and how completely the collection system covers the site, while lifetime-weighted efficiencies of roughly 55–91% are modelled. Captured methane is used for flaring, electricity/heat generation, and (per the sources here) energy recovery generally; pipeline injection and vehicle fuel are not described in these sources.123
- Evidence 19
- Interpretation 3
What it means for you
Which fits you?
Pick the situation closest to yours. Each answer says what it rests on.
If you are planning a new or expanding landfill
prioritise early gas recovery with flaring and/or energy recovery — modelling identifies it as one of the two most effective methane measures, deployable quickly with basic technology at modest cost.4
Evidence-backedIf you are regulating or operating an existing site
measure collection efficiency against a target mitigation rate; falling below target should trigger action on leaks, shallow pipes, uncovered active cells and low-production areas.2
Evidence-backedIf the collected gas is too low in quality to run a gas engine
consider retrofitting the collection system into a biocover designed for methane oxidation.2
Evidence-backedIf you are closing or managing an aging landfill
expect collection-plus-energy-use alone to leave substantial methane escaping through the cover; a biocover with high oxidation efficiency, or collection followed by biocover, modelled better on climate impact.5
Evidence-backedIf you are assessing whether captured gas can support energy use
methane concentrations around 51–57% measured at one Brazilian site were judged favourable for energy utilisation; low or declining gas production is a known cause of poor recovery.62
Evidence-backedIf you are setting waste policy in a low-infrastructure setting
pair early gas capture with programmes to reduce organic waste going to landfill, since organic reduction alone takes years and may be unaffordable for many.4
Evidence-backedThe full story · 4 chapters
How does a landfill gas collection system work, and what is done with the methane it captures?
Chapter 1: How the collection system works
AI summary:Gas wells and pipes under suction draw methane-rich landfill gas to a central point for flaring or energy use, with efficiency shaped by physical site factors.
Interpretation: Landfill gas forms as organic waste degrades underground; it is mainly methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), both greenhouse gases, and the methane is combustible. A collection system captures this gas rather than letting it escape through the cover. In practice, gas wells are drilled into the waste and connected through a pipe network; suction applied to the network draws gas toward a central point, where it is either flared or routed to an energy plant.1
Evidence-backed: Collection efficiency depends on several physical factors: the permeability of the cover layer, the layout of the well network, the suction pressure applied, the structure of the waste mass, and how fast the waste is degrading. Systems in practice often suffer low collection efficiency, leaks and unstable operation, which directly undercut both environmental safety and the amount of energy that can be recovered.1
Evidence-backed: Measured methane concentrations in gas from collection drains at a Brazilian landfill were 51.10 ± 8.89% to 57.06 ± 1.19% — high enough to be favourable for energy use. Modelled methane generation at that site reached up to about 1.30 × 10⁴ tonnes of CH₄, with peak production projected over 25–26 years depending on the model.6
This part rests on
1. Operational Efficiency and Environmental Risk Analysis of Landfill Gas Collection Systems
With the rapid growth of urban solid waste, landfills remain a primary waste disposal method, and their operational management and environmental impacts have attracted increasing attention.During waste degradation, landfills generate significant amounts of landfill gas, primarily composed of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), which are combustible and potent greenhouse gases.Efficient landfill gas collection systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate environmental risks, and enable energy recovery, improving the resource utilization of landfills.However, in practical operation, collection systems often face challenges such as low collection efficiency, system leaks, and operational instability, directly affecting environmental safety and energy recovery potential.The efficiency of landfill gas collection is influenced by multiple factors, including cover layer permeability, well network layout, suction pressure, waste mass structure, and degradation kinetics.Low collection efficiency not only results in methane releaseRead original source
6. From Waste to Health: Landfill Biogas Recovery as a Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Public Health Co-Benefits in Brazil.
Experimental analysis revealed methane concentrations from 51.10 ± 8.89% to 57.06 ± 1.19% across collection drains, indicating favorable conditions for energy utilization. Methane generation was estimated under different scenarios, reaching up to 1.30 × 104 tonnes of CH4, with peak production projected over 25-26 years depending on the model. Beyond energetic relevance, controlled biogas recovery can substantially reduce methane emissions, a key precursor of tropospheric ozone, and limit hazardous trace gas release, improving air quality and reducing population exposure to harmful pollutants. These findings are particularly relevant in developing countries, where insufficient waste management infrastructure leads to uncontrolled emissions, posing elevated environmental and health risks. This study supports integrating landfill biogas recovery into waste management and climate strategies, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy (SDG 7), climate action (SDG 13), and health (SDG 3), demonstrating it as a scalable solution for sustainable urban development.Read original source
2 independent sources
- Waste degradesOrganic waste breaks down underground, forming methane and carbon dioxide
- Wells and pipesGas wells drilled into the waste connect to a pipe network
- Suction appliedBlowers pull gas through the network toward a central point
- Flare or energy plantCaptured gas is flared or routed to an energy plant
Drawn from this chapter's text
Chapter 2: What is done with the captured methane
AI summary:Collected gas is flared or burned for energy, and low-quality gas can be handled by retrofitting the system into a methane-oxidising biocover.
Evidence-backed: The sources describe two main destinations for collected gas: flaring, and energy recovery (combustion in a gas engine to produce electricity and/or heat). Early capture combined with flaring and/or energy recovery is identified as one of the two most effective landfill methane mitigation measures across a wide range of conditions worldwide, and it can be deployed relatively quickly with basic technology at modest cost.4
Evidence-backed: Where the collected gas is too low in quality to run a gas engine, the existing collection system can be retrofitted into a biocover designed for methane oxidation — a microbial process in the cover that destroys methane rather than burning it.2
Evidence-backed: Beyond climate benefits, controlled biogas recovery reduces methane emissions (a precursor of tropospheric ozone) and limits release of hazardous trace gases, improving local air quality and reducing exposure to harmful pollutants — particularly relevant where waste infrastructure is insufficient and emissions are uncontrolled.6
Chapter 3: How well collection actually performs
AI summary:Measured capture ranges from 13% to 86% and varies by country and site, while lifetime-weighted modelling and biocover comparisons show capture alone leaves methane escaping.
Evidence-backed: Measured collection efficiencies at Danish landfills ranged from 13% to 86%, averaging 50% — below Swedish (58%), UK (64%) and US (63%) averages. Suggested causes include shallow collection pipes, leaks from installations such as leachate wells and gas engines, low gas recovery where gas production is minimal, and no collection in active waste cells. The authors propose using collection efficiency itself as a regulatory lever: a site falling below a target mitigation rate would trigger action to cut emissions.2
Evidence-backed: Instantaneous collection efficiency is reported in the literature at 50% to near 100%, depending on cover type and how much of the site the collection system covers. Because efficiency changes over a landfill's life, a temporally weighted figure — accounting for total gas production and collection over the whole life — is argued to be the appropriate way to report it. Modelled lifetime-weighted efficiencies were 67–91%, 62–86% and 55–78% at decay rates of 0.02, 0.04 and 0.07 per year respectively, and 84–67% for aggressive collection as in a bioreactor landfill.3
Evidence-backed: At aging landfills, modelled scenarios with biocovers (70–90% methane oxidation) had lower climate impact than 20–30 years of gas collection with energy utilisation (40–80% collection efficiency). Combining collection and energy use with a later biocover improved outcomes further. The main reason given is that methane keeps escaping through the cover during and after the collection period, so maintaining high oxidation efficiency over the landfill's lifetime is critical.5
Evidence-backed: Modelling across a wide range of conditions found two standout methane mitigation measures: early gas recovery, and reducing the amount of biodegradable organic waste accepted. Organic-waste reduction can take many years to realise and suitable alternatives may be unaffordable for many, so it cannot be the only measure — early recovery is fast and cheap by comparison.4
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3 open questions
- ResearcherLooks for evidenceFrom this page
The page notes that reported collection efficiencies differ by method and timeframe, with instantaneous and lifetime-weighted figures not directly comparable. What measurement approach would let you compare the Danish 13–86% range fairly against the 58–64% national averages?
- ChallengerTests an assumptionFrom this page
The page says biocovers modelled at 70–90% oxidation outperformed 20–30 years of collection-plus-energy-use at aging landfills. When might continued gas collection still be the better choice at an aging site?
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The page says the specific hardware sequence — headers, blowers, condensate handling, gas treatment before engines — is only described in general terms. What part of that sequence would you most want explained in more detail?
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Measured collection efficiency is often far below : 13–86% (average 50%) across Danish sites, versus 58–64% averages in Sweden, the UK and the US.
At aging landfills, biocovers modelled at methane oxidation outperformed 20–30 years of collection-plus-energy-use on climate impact, because gas keeps escaping through the cover.
A collection system uses wells and a pipe network under suction to pull methane-rich gas from buried waste, then flares it or sends it to an energy plant.
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- 1Operational Efficiency and Environmental Risk Analysis of Landfill Gas Collection SystemsResearch paperPublished Dec 1, 2025Checked Oct 18, 2026
“With the rapid growth of urban solid waste, landfills remain a primary waste disposal method, and their operational management and environmental impacts have attracted increasing attention.During waste degradation, landfills generate significant amounts of landfill gas, primarily composed of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), which are combustible and potent greenhouse gases.Efficient landfill gas collection systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate environmental risks, and enable energy recovery, improving the resource utilization of landfills.However, in practical operation, collection systems often face challenges such as low collection efficiency, system leaks, and operational instability, directly affecting environmental safety and energy recovery potential.The efficiency of landfill gas collection is influenced by multiple factors, including cover layer permeability, well network layout, suction pressure, waste mass structure, and degradation kinetics.Low collection efficiency not only results in methane release”
- 2Efficiency of gas collection systems at Danish landfills and implications for regulationsWaste Management (Duan et al.)Published Jan 3, 2022Checked Oct 18, 2026
“Methane emissions from all sites were measured using the tracer gas dispersion method, and gas collection efficiencies were calculated using the ratio of the methane collection rate to the sum of the collection and emission (and oxidation) rates. Gas collection efficiencies ranged between 13 and 86% with an average of 50% - a value lower than for Swedish (58%), UK (64%) and US (63%) landfills. Possible reasons for the inefficiency of gas collection systems in Denmark include shallow gas collection pipes, leakage from installations (e.g. leachate wells, gas engines), low gas recovery due to minimal gas production or a lack of gas collection in active waste cells. It is suggested to use gas collection efficiency to regulate landfills and help them reach a particular methane mitigation goal. Gas collection efficiency that falls below the target mitigation rate would in turn trigger actions to reduce landfill methane emissions. At sites where the quality of the collected gas is too low to operate a gas engine, the installed gas collection system could be retrofitted to a biocover system designed for methane oxidation.”
- 3Controls on Landfill Gas Collection Efficiency: Instantaneous and Lifetime PerformanceJournal of the Air & Waste Management Association (Barlaz et al.)Published Dec 1, 2009Checked Oct 18, 2026
“The gas collection efficiency varies with time on the basis of the manner in which landfills are designed, operated, and regulated. The literature supports instantaneous collection efficiencies varying between 50% and near 100%, dependent on the cover type and the coverage of the LFG collection system. The authors suggest that the temporally weighted gas collection efficiency, which considers total gas production and collection over the landfill life, is the appropriate way to report collection efficiency. This value was calculated for a range of decay rates representative of refuse buried in arid and wet areas (i.e., >63.5 cm precipitation) and for bioreactor landfills. Temporally weighted collection efficiencies ranging from 67 to 91%, 62 to 86%, and 55 to 78% were calculated at decay rates of 0.02, 0.04, and 0.07 yr(-1), respectively. With aggressive gas collection, as would be implemented for a bioreactor landfill, estimated gas collection efficiency ranged from 84 to 67% at decay rates of 0.04 to 0.15 yr(-1), respectively.”
- 4The impact of landfill management approaches on methane emissionsWaste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy (Scharff et al.)Published Oct 12, 2023Checked Oct 18, 2026
“In general, the IPCC's recommended modelling parameters and default values were used. Based on the modelling undertaken, two options stand out as being the most effective methane mitigation measures in a wide range of conditions throughout the world: (a) early gas recovery and (b) reduction of the amount of biodegradable organic waste accepted in a landfill. It is noted that reduction of organic input to any given landfill can take many years to realize. Moreover, suitable alternative processing or disposal options for the organic waste can be unaffordable for a significant percentage of the planet's population. Although effective, organic waste reduction cannot therefore be the only landfill methane mitigation measure. Early landfill gas recovery can be very effective by applying basic technologies that can be deployed relatively quickly, and at modest cost. Policymakers and regulators from around the globe can significantly reduce adverse environmental impacts from landfill gas emissions by stimulating both the early capture and flaring and/or energy recovery of landfill gas and programmes to reduce the inflow of organic waste into landfills.”
- 5Environmental assessment of landfill gas mitigation using biocover and gas collection with energy utilisation at aging landfillsWaste Management (Scheutz et al.)Published Apr 18, 2023Checked Oct 18, 2026
“In all scenarios, biocover and gas collection systems with energy utilisation led to significant environmental improvements compared to the baseline scenario with no emission mitigation action. Scenarios representing biocovers with methane oxidation efficiencies between 70 and 90 % were environmentally superior in terms of climate change impact - in comparison to scenarios with 20-30 years of gas collection and energy utilisation (collection efficiencies between 40 and 80 %). Combining gas collection with energy utilisation and the subsequent installation of a biocover saw major improvements in comparison to where only gas collection and energy utilisation were in effect. Overall, it can be concluded that a biocover under the given assumptions is environmentally more appropriate than gas collection and utilisation at aging landfills, mainly due to methane emissions escaping through the landfill cover during and after the gas collection period playing a crucial role in the latter situation. Maintaining high methane oxidation efficiency for a biocover throughout the lifetime of a landfill is vital for reducing environmental impacts.”
- 6From Waste to Health: Landfill Biogas Recovery as a Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Public Health Co-Benefits in Brazil.International journal of environmental research and public health (Nazzari et al.)Published May 13, 2026Checked Oct 18, 2026
“Experimental analysis revealed methane concentrations from 51.10 ± 8.89% to 57.06 ± 1.19% across collection drains, indicating favorable conditions for energy utilization. Methane generation was estimated under different scenarios, reaching up to 1.30 × 104 tonnes of CH4, with peak production projected over 25-26 years depending on the model. Beyond energetic relevance, controlled biogas recovery can substantially reduce methane emissions, a key precursor of tropospheric ozone, and limit hazardous trace gas release, improving air quality and reducing population exposure to harmful pollutants. These findings are particularly relevant in developing countries, where insufficient waste management infrastructure leads to uncontrolled emissions, posing elevated environmental and health risks. This study supports integrating landfill biogas recovery into waste management and climate strategies, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy (SDG 7), climate action (SDG 13), and health (SDG 3), demonstrating it as a scalable solution for sustainable urban development.”
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