Biogas is the product of anaerobic biological breakdown of organic substances. Anaerobic ponds or lagoons (the terms are interchangeable) are a common treatment step of wastewater produced from the meat industry. The technology is simple and inexpensive to operate while significantly
reducing the wastewater organic loading. The by product, biogas, is both a valuable fuel and a greenhouse gas. Captured biogas can be used to fuel a boiler or for co-generation. The burning of the biogas also significantly reduces methane emissions. Hence, the covering of the anaerobic ponds has recently become popular.