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Castr8orr t1_j182vmt wrote

I could put the trash into a landfill where it's going to stay for millions of years or I could burn it up and get a nice smokey smell in here and let that smoke go into the sky where it turns into stars.

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alphahydra t1_j18m03o wrote

Reading the actual article, it looks like it might be waste gases from household rubbish, rather than the rubbish itself. So the methane and stuff that already seeps up out of landfills, capturing that and using it instead of letting it disperse straight into the atmosphere.

That's what it looks like anyway, it's not very clear. I'll try to find the source.

Edit: it's a mix of two things: capturing gases from a steelworks and processing non-recyclable waste into fuel. So yeah, not as green as it sounds, but better than normal jet fuel.

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Mayor__Defacto t1_j1af1m4 wrote

I mean, it’s not a new thing. Maybe making it into jet fuel is. But in the US there are hundreds of landfills that capture the gas. DOE calls them “LFG” projects.

https://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-information-about-landfill-gas

It’s been a policy initiative since at least the 90s, and it’s not just about reducing emissions. It’s a lost opportunity to collect what is essentially renewable energy.

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Sentinel122125 t1_j19oxd8 wrote

That doesn't sound right, but I don't know enough about stars to dispute it.

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