Renewable natural gas facilities turn organic waste into a fossil fuel alternative. Photo by John Fricker/Geograph UK The production and use of renewable natural gas made from organic waste is growing rapidly in the United States. The number of production facilities in the country — which convert landfill waste, animal manure, wastewater, food waste and other organic feedstocks into fuel that is interchangeable with fossil natural gas — has grown from approximately 40 prior to 2014 to nearly 160 today. Due to the potential benefits of renewable natural gas as an alternative to fossil fuels, a handful of states including California, Washington and Oregon have integrated it into climate goals. Both state and national assessments find that sufficient amounts of the waste-derived fuel could be produced to displace as much as 4-7% of current fossil gas consumption, while delivering other co-benefits related to waste management.