By use of the radiolabelled substrates sodium [1–14C] acetate, sodium [2–14C] acetate, NaH14CO3and14CH3OH, three of the possible methanogenic pathways in fermenting refuse were confirmed. Due to the absence of a methanol pool, however, the relative contribution of each could not be determined. Circumstantial evidence for an operative trimethylamine pathway was gained but not confirmed whilst preliminary attempts to stimulate methanogenesis in refuse by supplementation with mono‐and dimethylamine proved unsucce