The researchers compared how organic waste breaks down in different conditions in a lab setup. They found that recycling leachate (liquid that drains from the waste) helped produce more gas and methane faster. Lysimeters with leachate recycling had higher ATP levels in the liquid. However, dehydrogenase activities were similar in all setups. The waste liquid from all lysimeters inhibited the glow of a test strain, with more inhibition in the setup without leachate recycling. The glow inhibition was less in the middle of the process, linked to waste breakdown.