TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ENVIRONMENT - Preferred Components: The first subsystem comprises at least one pressurized vessels for: pretreating the municipal solid waste; and addition of heat and water to the municipal solid waste. The second subsystem comprises a separator that separates the pretreated municipal solid waste into an organic fraction and a recyclable materials fraction, where the recyclable materials fractions are sorted from a single stream. The third subsystem comprises a system for thermophilic anaerobic digestion of organic fractions of the pretreated municipal solid waste. The fourth subsystem comprises a flare system and a low energy fuel reciprocating engine generator, where the flare system and low energy fuel reciprocating engine generator are used to process methane formed by anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, the flare system is used to combust the methane formed by anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and the low energy fuel reciprocating engine generator is used to store methane gas and used as part of a cogeneration energy system. The cogeneration energy system produces electricity. In the system recoverable heat produced by combustion of methane is recovered by a heat recovery located on the low energy fuel reciprocating engine generator, where heat recovery by the generator is used to offset natural gas consumption in plant heating systems and heat recovery by the generator improves the efficiency of the low energy fuel reciprocating engine generator from 30% to 70%. Preferred Method: The step of pretreating municipal solid waste comprises: introducing the municipal solid waste into a rotary vessel; adding water into the rotary vessel; reducing the pressure inside the rotary vessel; heating the interior of the rotary vessel; and evacuating the pretreated municipal solid waste in a single stream from the rotary vessel for sorting and separation. The step of sorting and separating the pretreated municipal solid waste into an organic fraction and a recyclable materials fractions comprises: separating the organic fines from the pretreated municipal solid waste as the organic fraction; and sorting the recyclable materials by type, where organic fines from the pretreated municipal solid waste comprises separating food waste, plant waste, paper products and/or fiber material, and sorting the recyclable materials by type comprises separating the recyclable materials into ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, aluminum, glass and plastic. In the method anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste comprises: contacting the organic fraction with thermophilic bacteria; breaking down the organic fraction; and converting the digested organic fraction to biogas, where the formed biogas comprises a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane. The method further comprises using a flare to combust excess methane produced by anaerobic digestion. In the method: converting the formed biogas into fuel comprises storing the biogas for use in a reciprocating engine cogenerator; and combustion of methane produces recoverable heat, where the recoverable heat is recovered using the heat recovery generator.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The sorted recyclable material fraction comprises plastics, metal, paper products and/or fiber material. The sorted recyclable materials are further sorted into ferrous, non-ferrous, aluminum and plastic materials.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The system for anaerobic digestion comprises methane, carbon dioxide and a compost material as end-products. The organic fraction comprises a homogenous cellulosic mass.