Scientific Truth about Waste to Energy

Waste-to-Energy is a critical component of the accepted municipal waste management hierarchy and can be a significant tool to avoid landfilling waste after reduction, reuse and recycling. This report summarizes how WTE is a key part of a sustainable waste management solution and a responsible alternative when environmental and human health impacts are considered. Details are provided on the performance of WTE facilities, with a focus on the U.S., and the complementary relationship between recycling and WTE. Representative publications are presented and summarized with citations to allow interested readers to fully explore the extensive body of literature pertaining to performance and operation of WTE.

by Marco J. Castaldi

Waste-to-Energy is a critical component of the accepted municipal waste management hierarchy and can be a significant tool to avoid landfilling waste after reduction, reuse and recycling. This report summarizes how WTE is a key part of a sustainable waste management solution and a responsible alternative when environmental and human health impacts are considered. Details are provided on the performance of WTE facilities, with a focus on the U.S., and the complementary relationship between recycling and WTE. Representative publications are presented and summarized with citations to allow interested readers to fully explore the extensive body of literature pertaining to performance and operation of WTE.

In this report, readers will build a better understanding of the scientific realities of Waste-to-Energy as it relates to waste management, recycling, public health and the environment, including:

• Although landfills are the primary alternative to Waste-to-Energy, methane emitted by landfills is the second largest contributor to global climate change. New data show methane is even more damaging than previously thought.

• Every ton of waste processed in a WTE facility avoids a ton of CO2 equivalent emissions, when the Greenhouse Gas savings from recycling recovered metals is included. Over 700,000 tons of metal are recovered and recycled annually in WTE facilities.

• U.S. counties and municipalities that use WTE consistently show an increased recycling rate.

• Independent studies show human health is not adversely affected by waste-to-energy. Further, WTE facilities in the U.S. and globally operate well within environmental standards. Data show their emissions are more than 70% below regulatory limits, except for NOx, which operates at 35 % below emissions limits.

• The overwhelming trend worldwide is the growth of WTE facilities to manage the increasing amount of waste while extracting energy and valuable materials for recycling.

• Evaluating WTE in isolation is misleading as it leaves out the net effect of the environmental and energy impacts of landfilling the waste often great distances away from the source of generation.

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle are generally recognized by the public; however, there is less awareness and knowledge of recovery and the supporting technology. Further, there is significant misunderstanding of the energy recovery process.

• There are 76 waste-to-energy facilities in the US that process nearly 94,000 tons of municipal solid waste per day, producing enough energy to power the equivalent of 2.3 million homes.

• WTE is a $10 billion industry that employs approximately 6,000 American workers and is growing worldwide and should be in the U.S

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published: Chemical Engineering DepartmentThe City College of New YorkCity University of New York, 5|2021
Keywords: Energy Recovery, Sustainability, Climate, United States of America

Prof. Marco J. Castaldi
City University of New York, WtERT US