Ever wonder how long it takes for a piece of garbage to decompose?

Well, it doesn’t just turn to liquid or vanish into thin air. It actually takes years and even centuries for some items to break down in the ground.For example,a cigarette butt takes 1-5 years to decompose, a banana about 3-4 weeks, a tin can…80-100 years, and a disposable diaper up to 500 years. Somethings like styrofoam can last for thousands of years.

Good news is, American Waste Control now has Oklahoma’s first and only Trash to Energy Landfill–able to power 4500 homes in the region. It’s true… we’re accomplishing it by turning decomposing trash via methane-rich landfill gas into energy. Landfill gas is about 50 percent methane, the primary component of natural gas.

Did you ever think that our trash could be the next great energy resource?