Systems library

Colonie Solid Waste Landfill

A circular system archetype diagram for a landfill-centered context. This is where “waste management” can evolve into “resource management” via organics diversion, energy recovery, and soil-building co-products.

Archetype Landfill Organics diversion
How this site was selected: Mapping layers pair feedstocks with infrastructure, the matrix approach (industrial/hauling, feedstock variation, pyrolysis, space/expansion) distills the strongest candidates, and the 25-50 mile coverage logic keeps proposals balanced. Read the methodology.

System diagram

Image source: /reports/circular-systems/4. Colonie Solid Waste Landfill.jpg

Circular system diagram: Colonie Solid Waste Landfill
Tip: open this in a new tab to zoom, then use it in meetings as a shared reference.
Note: Landfill sites tend to involve a “stack” of parallel opportunities: RNG / LFG capture upgrades, organics diversion, leachate management, and adjacent processing (composting, digestion, biochar). The right path depends on current permits and operator incentives.

Site imagery

Reference photos from the Circular Biogas Systems proposal appendix for this location.

Evidence & policy context

  • Data & maps hub — ground each archetype in the baseline data, flows, and county briefs before pitching it.
  • Policy & funding hub — choose the right story (CLCPA, diversion, EJ) for this system.
  • CLCPA brief — tie the archetype into the state’s climate accountability framework.
  • Food waste law brief — highlight the diversion/compliance rationale when organics are on the route.

Why RNG viability matters

Capturing RNG at this landfill links methane reduction to waste diversion while nudging the interconnection upgrades (utility pipelines or RNG offtake) that prove this project can deliver clean gas at scale.