Landfilling of Bottle Closures of Alcoholic Beverages and Formation of Greenhouse Gases

Abstract

The paper is focused on generation of biomethane from disposed aluminum containing waste. We show that significant amount of biomethane is generated in landfill bodies due to the presence of aluminum. To demonstrate this, we analyzed typical chemical reactions of aluminum-containing bottle caps contained in dumps using the knowledge on metabolism of methanogenic bacteria strains. In the reactions, aluminum serves as a source of hydrogen that is further used in the metabolism of bacteria which convert carbon dioxide generated from organic waste to methane. In cases where the dump gases are not removed and collected, methane is released freely to environment. The assessment of the influence of this gas on the greenhouse effect shows a strong negative impact of aluminum waste disposals on the environment.