New Biochar Technology Offers Hope to Miami-Dade’s Landfill Capacity Crisis
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — As Miami-Dade County grapples with rapidly filling landfills and mounting waste management challenges, a promising new technology pilot at the South Dade Landfill aims to alleviate pressure by converting green waste into biochar—a carbon-rich product with multiple environmental benefits.
Faced with landfills nearing full capacity, county officials are urgently seeking innovative ways to divert waste from traditional disposal methods. A significant portion of the county’s solid waste is green waste—such as yard clippings, branches, and fallen trees—comprising nearly 12% of landfill contents. This organic material not only occupies valuable landfill space but also emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes. In response, Miami-Dade County has partnered with Fort Lauderdale-based Clean Earth Innovations to pilot what is believed to be the only biochar-producing machine operating atop a landfill in the country.
“This is really big. This is big,” said Roy Coley, Miami-Dade County’s chief regulatory and utilities officer. “They’re taking green waste that normally would be placed in the landfill, cause a waste of space, and actually turn it into a usable product.”
The pilot project, funded in part by a $100,000 grant from the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority’s Solid Waste Challenge, utilizes a rotating kiln encased in ceramic that heats biomass to temperatures between 1,400 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free environment. This process thermally transforms the green waste into biochar while producing minimal emissions.
Harold Gubnitsky, CEO of Clean Earth Innovations, explained the process: “The material moves by conveyor into a rotating kiln that reaches extreme temperatures. It’s called a rotating kiln. It’s got a ceramic encasing so it allows it to get super hot again, 1,400 to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s when the magic happens.”
In addition to biochar, the process yields a byproduct that can be converted into electricity, further enhancing the sustainability of the technology.
Biochar is often referred to as “nature’s black gold” because of its broad ecological applications. It has the ability to sequester carbon dioxide, enrich soil health, improve agricultural yields, reduce the need for fertilizers and irrigation, filter contaminants from waterways, and may even contribute to the restoration efforts of Biscayne Bay.
“This is biochar. They call it nature’s black gold. And this has so many uses,” Gubnitsky said.
Roy Coley highlighted the environmental impact, noting, “We produce 5 million tons of solid waste a year in Miami-Dade County; the department itself manages 2 million tons annually, and a huge percentage of that is green waste that can be reused and not waste space in landfills.”
Aneisha Daniel, director of Miami-Dade County Solid Waste, emphasized the potential scale of the project: “When we think about landfill dependency and we look at how we can actually divert waste now into such a beneficial use, this is what innovation should look like.”
Currently, the biochar pilot can process approximately 4,000 tons of green waste per year. The initial phase of the project is set to conclude in April, after which county officials will evaluate its success and determine the feasibility of scaling the technology countywide.
With Miami-Dade’s landfills at or nearing capacity, the introduction of biochar technology offers a hopeful pathway toward waste diversion, greenhouse gas reduction, and enhanced environmental stewardship.
For more updates on this and other local environmental initiatives, stay tuned to WPLG Local 10. —
Louis Aguirre is an Emmy-award winning journalist and WPLG Local 10’s Environmental Advocate.
