Biogas Capture in Texas: How Landfills Turn Methane into Energy
If you've ever driven past a landfill and wondered, "Can anything good come from all that trash?"—surprisingly, yes. When organic waste (food scraps, yard debris, textiles, paper) decomposes without oxygen, it makes biogas—mostly methane. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, but in Texas, a few smart projects are capturing it and turning it into usable energy. That's called biogas capture (or landfill gas capture).
It's not a free pass to throw everything away—but it does make existing landfills less polluting.
What is biogas (landfill gas) capture?
Think of a landfill like a giant layered compost pile. Engineers install a network of vertical wells and horizontal pipes that "vacuum" methane out of the buried waste. That gas is dried and cleaned, then either:
• burned in engines/turbines to make electricity, or
• upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG) that can go into pipelines or fuel vehicles.
Why does this matter? Because methane packs a big short-term warming punch. Capturing it before it escapes helps today's climate math, while we work on sending less decomposable material to landfills in the first place.
Texas case study #1: McCarty Road Landfill (Houston)
On Houston's east side, the McCarty Road Landfill is turning trash gas into low-carbon fuel. Energy developer Ameresco, in partnership with Republic Services, upgrades landfill gas here into pipeline-quality RNG. That fuel can displace conventional fossil gas for heating, power, or transportation.
Why it matters for Houston:
• Cuts methane emissions that would otherwise be flared or leaked
• Feeds lower-carbon fuel into Texas's existing gas system
• Shows how legacy landfills can do less harm while we improve upstream waste habits
Texas case study #2: Tessman Road Landfill → VIA buses (San Antonio)
San Antonio took the "make it local" route. At Tessman Road Landfill, developer EDL upgrades captured methane into RNG. CPS Energy injects that RNG into pipelines, and VIA Metropolitan Transit uses it to run hundreds of CNG buses—replacing diesel and trimming local air pollution.
Why it matters for San Antonio:
• RNG turns trash-made methane into a practical transit fuel
• Keeps benefits local: cleaner bus rides and more reliable fuel supply
• Demonstrates a city-scale "trash-to-transport" loop Texans can point to
Also in Texas: the DFW RNG build-out… In the Dallas–Fort Worth area, WM brought an RNG facility online that can supply energy for homes or fuel heavy-duty vehicles. It's another sign that Texas isn't just talking about landfill methane capture—it's building it at utility scale.
Rules, limits, and why reuse still wins
Texas landfills must monitor and manage methane under state rules, with systems designed to prevent dangerous build-ups and off-site migration. That said, capture isn't magic:
• Not all methane is captured—performance varies by site design, age, moisture, and maintenance
• RNG plants need infrastructure and partners (pipeline interconnects, fleets)
• Systems are capital- and operations-intensive
So while Texas projects are an important "do less harm" step, the best move is still stopping methane at the source—by sending less decomposable material to landfills in the first place.
What you can do (the Adios way)
• Reuse first. If an item still has life, let's keep it circulating in Austin—resale or donation beats disposal.
• Recycle right. Batteries, textiles, and tanglers don't belong in your blue bin—use our guides and services to route them correctly.
• Need a clean slate? Get your Goodbye Bag, today. We focus on reuse first, and only landfill what truly can't be reused or recycled.
