Waste-to-Energy: Pros and Cons of This Emerging Technology



 


By Best Precious

Think about your own trash can: after removing all that could be recycled, there is still trash left-food scraps, broken plastic, old clothes. We all understand very well that waste is a huge problem: landfills are filling up, trash too often ends up polluting our environment, and at the same time, the world is always in search of new ways to produce energy. That is where Waste-to-Energy comes in.

WTE technology transforms the non-recyclable wastes into utilizable forms of energy like electricity, heat, or fuel. As WTE is a new technology, therefore, it entails certain benefits and drawbacks associated with WTE.

THE PROS

1. Waste reduction to landfill:
Waste-to-energy technology reduces the environmental as well as space-related problems associated with landfills, including water groundwater contamination and lack of land.

2. Renewable energy generation:
It generates energy from waste that cannot be recycled. Energy harnessed in this manner can also be used for homes, businesses, or even a whole community’s needs. Though not as green as solar or wind, it is sure and reliable nonetheless.

3. Recovery of Valuable Materials:
Some of the WTE technologies allow for the recovery of metals and other materials after the energy conversion process, reducing waste further and saving resources.

THE CONS

1. High Cost:
WTE plants are an expensive lot to build and maintain. The initial investment is high, and running these requires advanced technologies and highly skilled personnel.

2. Not Wholly Renewable:
A portion of the waste processed in WTE plants is from fossil fuels-plastics. The energy produced from such plants is useful, though not as renewable as it should be, when compared with solar, wind, and hydropower.

3. Competition with Recycling:
If waste can be burnt into energy, then there will be less incentive to recycle products such as plastic and paper. This may have the effect of increasing burning rather than reusing or recycling.

After all, it is not all about technology, but changing the paradigm of how we manage our waste, the importance given to energy, and how we can build a better and cleaner future together. WTE technology takes the remaining waste that cannot be recycled and converts it into a valuable resource instead of simply land-filling it.

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