Yes, food waste can be used to power a car, but not directly. The process involves converting the waste into biofuel, primarily in the form of biogas (which can be refined into renewable natural gas) or bioethanol. This isn't a DIY project for your backyard; it's an industrial-scale process called anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms break down organic matter in an oxygen-free environment to produce methane-rich gas.
The potential is significant. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the country, much of it from decomposing food. Capturing this gas for energy turns a waste problem into a fuel solution. For instance, waste management companies are increasingly converting landfill gas to renewable natural gas (RNG) that fuels garbage trucks and other fleet vehicles.
Here’s a comparison of the two primary pathways from food waste to fuel:
| Fuel Type | Production Process | Vehicle Compatibility | Key Advantage | Example Scale/Data |
|---|
| Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) | Anaerobic Digestion of organic waste, followed by purification. | Vehicles designed to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). | Uses existing waste (landfill gas), significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. | In 2022, U.S. RNG vehicle fuel use was 5.43 billion cubic feet. |
| Bioethanol | Fermentation of sugars derived from food waste, similar to corn ethanol production. | Flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that can run on high-level ethanol blends like E85. | Diversifies the feedstock pool away from purely agricultural crops. | The global bioethanol market is projected to reach over $105 billion by 2025. |
| Process Efficiency | Modern anaerobic digesters can convert a high percentage of organic waste into usable biogas. | N/A | Turns a disposal cost into an energy revenue stream. | A large digester can process 100,000+ tons of waste annually. |
| CO2 Reduction | Considered a carbon-neutral fuel because the CO2 released was recently absorbed by the plants. | N/A | Lifecycle emissions are far lower than petroleum fuels. | RNG can have up to a 400% negative carbon intensity score under some models. |
| Infrastructure | Growing number of RNG production facilities and CNG fueling stations, especially for fleets. | Over 21,000 E85 fueling stations in the U.S. as of 2023. | Support for both fuels is expanding, driven by policy and corporate sustainability goals. | Major companies like UPS and Amazon are investing in RNG-powered delivery fleets. |
While your kitchen scraps won't fill your car's tank tomorrow, the technology is well-established and growing. It represents a crucial part of the circular economy, reducing landfill waste and creating a cleaner-burning alternative to fossil fuels.
