The City of LaGrange, Ga., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Interface Flooring Systems have announced the formation of a partnership to convert naturally occurring methane gas from the local landfill into a green energy source to fuel two heaters and a boiler at Interface's Kyle plant.

Interface estimates it will reduce natural gas consumption at the plant by 20 percent, but the offset of greenhouse gas emissions is more substantial, the company adds.

Landfill gas is generated when organic materials in the landfill decompose, and is approximately 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide. The City of LaGrange Landfill will be modified with a system to collect the gas and deliver it through a pipeline to Interface's Kyle plant, located 10 miles away. There it will be burned and converted to heat, just like natural gas. The City of LaGrange is retrofitting the landfill for gas collection, and the pipeline is being added incrementally to an existing city project to upgrade natural gas pipelines. Interface is retrofitting two natural gas heaters and a boiler to run on the converted methane.