By Ashley Bouman

Waste-to-energy incineration technologies have existed for more than 50 years but have become increasingly popular in the last few years due to the interest in sustainable and renewable sources of energy. Power plants normally burn petroleum or coal to produce electricity; however, many areas around the world have switched to waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities that produce energy from burning garbage. While there is still cynicism around these methods of sustainable energy production, many communities already incorporate them into their solid waste management programs. Americans produce more than 225,000 tons of garbage every year, which is approximately 5 pounds of trash per household every day. More waste is being produced every year, creating less space in landfills. Basic math shows that eventually, space will run out.

The major advantage for WTE facilities is that they will reduce the amount of waste going into landfills while producing renewable energy, as garbage is sustainable and not depleted. There are a few disadvantages because even with modern facilities there is a possibility of toxic gases being released into the air, and it is possible that the ash produced by the incineration could contaminate the ground water. Also, the facilities can be expensive to build, but landfills are also expensive to build. Some critics have also speculated that people may not be as careful about reducing the amount of waste they produce or remain conscientious about recycling.

There is now the idea of combining WTE facilities and recycling plants for the management of household waste. The two technologies seem to work better together than separately. In the United States, a compatibility survey was conducted as part of an investigation for The 2002 IWSA (Integrated Waste Services Association) Directory of Waste-to-Energy Plants that took place in April and September of 2002. Communities using waste-to-energy were contacted by telephone and e-mail to discuss the issues of compatibility. Data were collected from all 105 facilities, and more detailed in-person interviews were conducted with public officials in seven of the communities. The US Environmental Protection Agency claims that the municipal recycling rate in the US is only 28 per cent. However, the statistics show that communities which have a WTE facility have a higher recycling rate than those without. Analysis of these figures conclude that waste-to-energy communities tend to be more knowledgeable and proactive in regards to municipal waste management, and as a result, have more forceful recycling programs.

The combination of both of these waste management programs complements both; for example, both contribute to reducing the amount of waste in landfills. The more households recycle, the more attention a WTE plant can focus on commercial outlets and look for waste markets that will result in a higher disposal rate and improved plant economics. Then, the ash produced can be reused and recycled. A ton of garbage makes about 525 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity which is enough to heat a regular office building for one day. As it currently stands, the US burns 14 percent of its solid waste.

Waste-to-energy incineration to produce electricity is a step in the right direction when it comes to sustainable and renewable energy. It would be beneficial to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, but it is a good idea to use it together with recycling and further decrease the amount of waste produced by households. As individuals, however, we should continue to personally reduce the amount of waste we create on a daily basis, look into alternative methods of packing, bring our own bags while shopping, and find out everything that we can recycle in our own municipalities and follow those guidelines.