If it doesn’t end up in a landfill, the trash you throw into the dumpster will end up in an incinerator and release a number of toxic chemicals when burned, reducing air quality and contributing to carbon emissions. Existing waste collection and recycling companies are doing their best to recycle as much as possible, but their technology is limited, and with the relatively new restrictions from China on recyclable materials, we’re dealing with a larger volume of waste than ever before. There’s simply not a market for so many common waste materials, such as straws, plastic film, and fabrics.

Michael Schmidt is the executive vice president of strategic growth and development at Gold Medal Environmental, a company that’s providing a landfill-free solution for commercial, residential, and construction materials. How does it work? Gold Medal Environmental uses a system backed by technology that captures the chemicals released during the decomposition of waste. Once captured, they are converted to supplemental coal, an EPA-recognized source of fuel. This will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and prevent significant quantities of toxins from entering the atmosphere.

It’s already been proven effective in Europe and is on its way to North America.

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