Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of MSW

Changes in legislation controlling the management of organic matter contained in municipal solid waste (MSW), control of air and odor emissions from solid waste processing facilities, protection of groundwater and soil resources, and other factors have led to the accelerated development and installation of a variety of systems aimed at processing a variety of organic materials for the production of methane. This paper provides an overview of the development of anaerobic digestion processes applied to the treatment of the organic fraction of MSW, including food wastes and some animal manures. In addition, the authors discuss examples of systems and technologies that are being used to recover energy and to stabilize organic materials.