Landfil in Danbury, ConnecticutUNITED NATIONS PHOTO / FLICKR
The breakdown of biodegradable products in landfills by microorganisms may cause more harm to the environment through the release of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, researchers at North Carolina State University claim. Of main concern, they say, is the fact that more than 30 percent of landfills in the US allow methane to escape into the atmosphere. This is compounded by the federal guidelines that stipulate that biodegradable products must decompose in a short period of time -- which may not allow enough time for landfills to dispose of the methane.
