Tangible benefits for neighborhoods and climate today

By storing otherwise unusable waste deep underground—instead of decomposing in landfills or running off into groundwater—we can create tangible benefits for surrounding towns and for the atmosphere right away​.
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Cleaning up land, air, and water

Organic waste like manure and biosolids can be beneficial in the right amounts—but when over applied, it contributes to nutrient runoff, groundwater contamination, and air quality issues. Some also contain trace contaminants like PFAS that shouldn’t be concentrated near people or ecosystems.​
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Vaulted’s approach is a safe, permanent alternative. We inject  waste deep underground into our secure wells—far away from drinking water sources—and offer immediate solutions to nearby communities:preventing pollutants from leaching into soil and water, minimizing odor and air impacts, and improving public health and ecosystem health over the long term. Essentially, we deal with carbon pollution, odors, and pathogens so they don’t contaminate your land, air, and water.

Tackling emissions at scale​

We’re wasting our waste. Vaulted’s approach turns organic waste from an expensive problem into a solution for removing carbon from the atmosphere at scale today. In addition to removing carbon, our geologic sequestration avoids the methane emissions that would have occurred if the waste had decomposed above ground. While we don’t include the GHG avoidance in our carbon removal credits, it is a substantial co-benefit. On average, each ton of waste we sequester avoids 5.8 tons of CO2e (20 year GWP).​
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Each step of the process is fully measurable – from direct energy meter read outs to carbon sampling of the waste itself– and transparently shared.  Our  Carbon Removal Buyers page has richer details on Vaulted’s high-quality, 10,000+ year carbon removal credits, and you can track our rapidly

Building up local economies

Waste is an opportunity to put money into pockets where we operate—whether it’s through an upskilling job at our facilities, payments to landowners for well siting, or being a local trucking partner or equipment operator in our vendor support network.​
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At Vaulted’s Great Plains facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, we’ve created 25 jobs and have already invested $5M into the community. We’re currently upgrading facility equipment so it can take even more waste and employ even more people. 

Organic waste like manure and biosolids can be beneficial in the right amounts—but when over applied, it contributes to nutrient runoff, groundwater contamination, and air quality issues. Some also contain trace contaminants like PFAS that shouldn’t be concentrated near people or ecosystems.​
​
Vaulted’s approach is a safe, permanent alternative. We inject waste deep underground into our secure wells—far away from drinking water sources—and offer immediate solutions to nearby communities: preventing pollutants from leaching into soil and water, minimizing odor and air impacts, and improving public health and ecosystem health over the long term. Essentially, we deal with carbon pollution, odors, and pathogens so they don’t contaminate your land, air, and water.

We’re wasting our waste. Vaulted’s approach turns organic waste from an expensive problem into a solution for removing carbon from the atmosphere at scale today. In addition to removing carbon, our geologic sequestration avoids the methane emissions that would have occurred if the waste had decomposed above ground. While we don’t include the GHG avoidance in our carbon removal credits, it is a substantial co-benefit. On average, each ton of waste we sequester avoids 5.8 tons of CO2e (20 year GWP).​
​
Each step of the process is fully measurable – from direct energy meter read outs to carbon sampling of the waste itself– and transparently shared. Our Carbon Removal Buyers page has richer details on Vaulted’s high-quality, 10,000+ year carbon removal credits, and you can track our rapidly growing durable tons.

Waste is an opportunity to put money into pockets where we operate—whether it’s through an upskilling job at our facilities, payments to landowners for well siting, or being a local trucking partner or equipment operator in our vendor support network.​
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At Vaulted’s Great Plains facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, we’ve created 25 jobs and have already invested $5M into the community. We’re currently upgrading facility equipment so it can take even more waste and employ even more people. 

51% of U.S. biosolids are land-applied—with no treatment for PFAS 

These persistent chemicals can accumulate in soil and water at levels up to 100x higher after land application. Vaulted locks them away safely, underground. Understand the latest PFAS data and implications for human health and environmental management in our literature review.

Full Review

40% of U.S. rivers and streams are affected by nutrient pollution

Often from excess manure that’s overused or can’t be used nearby. Vaulted helps solve the imbalance by locking away surplus nutrients deep underground. Read our literature review on the current evidence, drivers, and consequences.

Full Review

Have questions?

We keep groundwater safe through our robust well design, real-time monitoring, and strict regulatory reporting. Vaulted injects waste into zones way deep underground, far below any drinking water sources, and sealed beneath thick, impermeable rock (like shale). We only choose sites where the risk of migration is extremely low to provide long-term safety. 

We always look for the right geology when we assess a potential site. We use proprietary tools to do geomechanical modeling, fracture simulations, and formation capacity modeling. We also make sure that groundwater is shallow enough for our injection zones to remain far below drinking water sources, maximizing containment and safety. 

No — in fact, we reduce odor problems. Waste is injected promptly upon arrival, without being stored or stockpiled, so odors are contained and undetectable. We also help address the root cause of existing odor issues by diverting waste that would otherwise rot and smell in landfills or when applied on fields. 

In the early stages of site development, Vaulted always conducts a traffic study to understand how traffic patterns in a community will be affected by our operations. We work closely with state transportation departments and local officials to reduce congestion and ensure our operations don’t disrupt local roads. For sites that are located on or next to our waste partners, there may be no additional traffic.

Vaulted sites strengthen communities in multiple ways. At our Great Plains site, we already employ around 25 people (and hiring!) across office and field roles, with strong wages, benefits, and growth opportunities. We buy from local suppliers and partner with local organizations for hiring and community events. We also help with quality of life by preventing pollutants from entering local air, soil, and water.

We agree that manure can be a great fertilizer — but it needs to be available at the right time and right place for farmers to use. Excess manure can sit in piles unused at feedlots and farms, degrading in quality and posing environmental risks. Vaulted only handles this excess portion, ensuring we’re not driving up prices or displacing productive fertilizer use. 

Biosolids and other organic wastes often contain PFAS, which wastewater treatment doesn’t remove. Land application can spread PFAS into soil and water, and there are limited good disposal alternatives. Vaulted’s underground injection technology provides a proven, safe method to permanently isolate PFAS-contaminated waste and keep it out of the environment and our bodies.