Food waste can be used in the anaerobic digestion process to produce a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other substances called biogas. Biogas can be converted into renewable energy such as electric power, heat, steam, or vehicle fuel. Taking advantage of the clean-burning biogas that recycled food waste produces creates a sustainable energy source with the added benefit of reducing our reliance on landfills.

There are several hurdles associated with this method of power generation, such as inconsistent methane yields in the biogas, the high cost of biogas treatment systems, cost prohibitive hauling contracts for waste hauling companies, and competitive energy markets. Combining food waste with sludge in a wastewater treatment plant is called codigestion. This process is being implemented for the first time in southern California with the JWPCP Food Waste Receiving Facility project.