In Europe, waste-to-energy is being touted as the bulletproof solution for municipal solid waste management. In the US, however, no new incinerators have been built since 1997. Incineration is steadily gaining traction in Europe as a recycling method for waste that can also help meet energy needs. By depending on a mix of strategies such as recycling and waste-to-energy (WTE), countries such as Austria, the Netherlands and Germany have virtually eliminated the need for landfills. Yet in the US, no new incinerators have been built since 1997. Landfills, however, proliferate.
A large proportion of these landfills capture emitted methane on their sites, converting it into electricity and thereby preventing it from leaking into the air and being dispersed as waste. Though methane used in this way arguably proves a clean energy source, only a third of methane emissions actually gets recovered. As such, waste combustion can be regarded as the better option since it does not require the storage of solid waste and also serves to eliminate a greater amount of greenhouse gases.
Nonetheless, the number of waste-to-energy plants in the country continues to decrease due to public opposition, perceived health hazards as well as high costs. For it to truly take of as a waste handling measure, federal policy is needed as communities are still wont to consider the technology as less of a green alternative than landfills, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. These potential legal measures are more likely to take the form of a landfill ban rather than an actual governmental endorsement of WTE facilities.
Source: WMW
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