Biomass is organic material that is often discarded as waste, byproducts of industry. This includes everything from paper to food waste to sawdust and grass clippings. These materials decompose naturally, though has potential energy stored that can be utilized. By burning biomass, we can use that energy to heat homes and offices. As biomass decomposes, it releases methane naturally. We can capture that gas in landfills and use it to supplement methane extracted from the ground. We can do similar things with manure produced on large farms, turning that waste into energy to reduce overall waste and and to reduce reliance upon extracted nonrenewable resources.
Biomass is matter usually thought of as garbage. Some of it is just stuff lying around -- dead trees, tree branches, yard clippings, left-over crops, wood chips (like in the picture to the right), and bark and sawdust from lumber mills. It can even include used tires and livestock manure.
Your trash, paper products that can't be recycled into other paper products, and other household waste are normally sent to the dump. Your trash contains some types of biomass that can be reused. Recycling biomass for fuel and other uses cuts down on the need for "landfills" to hold garbage.
This stuff nobody seems to want can be used to produce electricity, heat, compost material or fuels. Composting material is decayed plant or food products mixed together in a compost pile and spread to help plants grow.
The Energy Story - Chapter 10: Biomass Energy
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