From Waste to Wins: How Orange County’s Smart Landfills Are Slashing Methane

This case study describes how Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) is reducing methane emissions through a dual strategy of organic waste diversion via composting and the implementation of a 'Smart Landfill Program' (SLP) utilizing automation, drones, and robotic sensors.

• Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) has implemented a composting program starting in 2020 to divert organic waste and prevent methane generation. The program uses windrow composting and is developing Covered Aerated Static Piles (CASP) technology to double facility capacity. To date, the program has diverted over 64,000 tons of organic waste and prevented 12,400 metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to removing 2,700 cars from the road for one year.
• The Smart Landfill Program (SLP) uses real-time data, infrared imaging, and drone technology to automate and enhance landfill gas collection, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 15%. Key features include automated well tuning that adjusts valves based on temperature, pressure, and weather, as well as the use of robotic dogs equipped with methane sensors and drones to identify leaks more efficiently than manual technician walks.
• OCWR is exploring further energy projects on its properties, including converting excess landfill gas that would otherwise be flared into biomethane for local use and researching solar installations on closed landfills to support California's goal of a 100 percent clean energy grid by 2045.
• Landfills are the second-largest source of human-caused methane emissions in California, accounting for 22 percent of the state's 2022 methane inventory. California's SB 1383 law aims to reduce landfill-bound organic waste by 75 percent by 2025 and has already diverted 295 million pounds of food waste and created over 440 food recovery jobs.

APA

RMI (2025). From Waste to Wins: How Orange County’s Smart Landfills Are Slashing Methane. https://rmi.org/resources/from-waste-to-wins-how-orange-countys-smart-landfills-are-slashing-methane/

Chicago

RMI. From Waste to Wins: How Orange County’s Smart Landfills Are Slashing Methane. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/from-waste-to-wins-how-orange-countys-smart-landfills-are-slashing-methane/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=From Waste to Wins: How Orange County’s Smart Landfills Are Slashing Methane |date=30 January 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/from-waste-to-wins-how-orange-countys-smart-landfills-are-slashing-methane/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025from, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{From Waste to Wins: How Orange County’s Smart Landfills Are Slashing Methane}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/from-waste-to-wins-how-orange-countys-smart-landfills-are-slashing-methane/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }