Biochar Carbon Removal

Google has signed an agreement with Commonwealth Sortation LLC, an affiliate of Denver-based Amp, to remove 200,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2030 and accelerate new pathways to tackle methane.

Biochar From Organic Waste

Amp uses artificial-intelligence-powered sortation to recover recyclable commodities and organic material from municipal solid waste, then converts the organic fraction into biochar, a stable material that sequesters carbon and keeps it out of the atmosphere. Google’s carbon credits and removal lead said the approach takes on the twin challenges of near-term warming from methane and long-term warming from carbon dioxide, turning waste organic material into a climate solution.

Targeting Methane

Landfilled municipal solid waste is the third-largest source of human-generated methane emissions in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. By diverting organic material from landfill before it produces methane, Amp’s process aims to curb near-term warming while locking carbon away over the long term.

Scaling the Approach

The purchase enables Amp to add biochar production capacity to what the company says is the largest recycling project in the U.S., unlocking the potential to convert five million tons of organic waste into biochar over the next 20 years. Amp and Google will also work together to establish frameworks for quantifying the combined impact of waste diversion and biochar carbon removal on methane elimination.

A Broader Virginia Project

In November 2025, Amp signed a 20-year contract with the Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia, the regional authority serving eight communities and about 1.2 million residents in South Hampton Roads, to process 540,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually and divert at least 50 percent of it from landfill. Amp says each diverted ton reduces or sequesters more than 0.7 tons of CO2e, amounting to over 378,000 tons of carbon dioxide avoided or removed a year, and the biochar will first be used as landfill daily cover, where it can filter leachate and reduce odours, before expanding into construction and cement applications over time.

Biochar Production From Waste

Klean Industries has delivered biochar and renewable energy capacity at its Japan plant, developed with KVFP, where organic and waste feedstocks are converted into a stable carbon-sequestering product. For credit buyers and waste operators scaling biochar carbon removal, Klean provides the plant design and feasibility work behind such facilities.

Learn More:

• Klean’s biochar renewable energy plant in Japan
• Klean’s waste-to-energy capabilities
• Feasibility studies for biochar

Turn Organic Waste Into Biochar

Biochar locks carbon away while diverting organic material from landfill, where it would otherwise produce methane.

Klean Industries designs and delivers biochar and waste-to-energy facilities, from feasibility studies through plant engineering to operation.

Planning a biochar or carbon-removal project from waste?

Contact Klean Industries about biochar production » GO.