MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — In Manatee County, your trash may soon be powering more than just the landfill.

The county is moving forward with a project that turns everyday waste into clean energy — and it could change how we think about garbage.

It’s called the Renewable Natural Gas From Waste to Worth project.

There’s an old saying: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

And at the Manatee County landfill, Utilities Director Patrick Shea said he sees potential.

He took us to the top of the landfill.

“Every year, as we add more garbage and start to top it off with soil and earth material, we install all these wells. They’re natural gas wells,” he said.

The wells sticking out of the ground are holding methane gas created by trash.

“So about 75 percent of the methane is flared, or burned, at this flare station. The other 25 percent is used to power the biosolids dryer,” he said.

Now, he says the county has an opportunity to profit from that gas by turning waste into energy through the Renewable Natural Gas From Waste to Worth project.

The county has partnered with other companies to make it happen.

“There is a financial incentive to it,” Shea said. “It’ll generate between a guaranteed $850,000 a year, give or take, and a maximum of $1.7 million a year in revenue for the utility department. It’ll be a landfill asset, and it’ll generate clean, renewable natural gas right here in Manatee County.”

This is where they plan to build a plant to process and clean the methane gas. Construction is expected to start in six months.

“It takes the impurities out and makes it pipeline quality. You could run your gas stove with it,” he said.

Tina Saldana is the communications coordinator for Manatee County Utilities.

She said they’ve been working on the project for about two years.

“With the Waste to Worth renewable natural gas project, we’re taking methane from the landfill, cleaning it, and using it as a natural gas resource. Right now, some of it helps power our biosolids dryer, but this allows us to use our full capacity instead of letting gas go unused,” she said.

Shea said that once the project is complete, the gas will be added to the natural gas pipeline.

“The gas in the pipeline right now is what people use to heat their pools or run appliances in their homes. This facility will create that same type of natural gas,” he said.

He said the mission is not only to create renewable energy but also to profit from what’s already at the landfill.

The county hopes to have the project finished by July 2027.