Are Waste to energy facilities beneficial?
Waste-to-energy is employed for a cause and when compared to conventional waste management techniques, it unquestionably offers certain advantages, such as the chance for resource recovery, and the use of an otherwise wasted resource.
But, here the question is! Are waste-to-energy facilities beneficial?
There are many other waste-to-energy strategies being used to make waste processing more sustainable. These prominent Waste-to-energy (WTE) techniques include:
· Gasification
Gasification has been utilized as a technique for centuries, but it has only recently been used to treat waste. It processes biomass at extremely high temperatures, without burning, creating syngas, or combustible natural gas. The gas is then utilized as fuel.
· Distillation and fermentation
To make ethanol, biomass can be fermented and distilled. Then, you can use this as an alternate fuel for vehicles, or other devices. This can only be used for organic waste and other waste streams, which are related.
· Anaerobic digestion
In this procedure, microbes decompose biomass without the presence of oxygen. It generates methane-rich biogas that can be utilized as a fuel source, to create electricity and other products.
The beginning of Waste-to-energy!
Landfill and incinerators are the two conventional methods for handling non-diverted waste. Although neither is ideal, there was an attempt to make things better in the 19th century. Engineers in Europe recognized the potential for energy recovery in a variety of waste streams, and instead of just burning waste to get rid of it, they discovered that the heat from waste incineration could be used to drive turbines. This was the beginning of waste-to-energy.
However, those same archaic techniques are still the foundation of our waste disposal more than a century later, and as people search for cleaner energy and more sustainable waste management, the drawbacks of waste-to-energy have begun to outweigh the advantages.
waste-to-energy
It is evident that the advantages of waste-to-energy as a waste management system only apply, when compared to conventional landfilling or incineration. However, when taken in isolation, the issues are so serious that it is difficult to see how it might be a useful component of any circular, green economy. Waste-to-energy has no place in a world where companies, governments, towns, and nations strive for zero waste.
Does waste-to-energy (WTE) makes recycling less appealing?
The ability to demotivate recycling or other more environmentally friendly waste management techniques, is a disadvantage of waste-to-energy.
People, companies, or governments are less inclined to engage with or invest in more effective alternatives, such as reduction, reuse, or recycling, if they feel that waste-to-energy is a workable sustainable energy source, and waste management approach. This is already evident in the fact that many WTE power plants are labelled as using "green energy".
WTE fuels an unregulated waste trade
As part of a larger waste management strategy that strives to increase recycling rates, many wealthy countries now export their waste to underdeveloped nations for processing. Although, garbage is occasionally recycled, it is frequently just burned or used in facilities that turn it into energy.
It has also been demonstrated that hazardous wastes that are not intended for incineration, are frequently transferred abroad where they are burned before being dumped.
How can we assist?
Netsol Water provides both the solutions for treating solid waste, and advice on how to make your waste more ecologically friendly. Speak to one of our consultants today, to find out more about waste management strategies and how your company can go green.
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