Energy from Waste Basics - Sustainable Waste Solutions

EfW Basics

Definition of Energy-from-Waste (“EfW”) or Waste-to-Energy (“WtE”)

EfW is a process that takes solid waste and creates energy, typically in the form of electricity, from the combustion of that waste. Waste is transferred into combustion chambers where it is reduced to 10 percent of its original volume. The heat generated within the combustion chambers heats water contained in steel tubes located along the perimeter of the boiler. This hot water turns to steam, which is filtered through a turbine that continuously generates electricity.

Corporate/Environmental Movement

In today’s Green-conscious society, companies are highly encouraged and almost expected to be environmental stewards. Due to these high expectations, the United States is experiencing an environmental Green Movement. One of the outcomes of the Green push is a demand for “less landfill” and more “renewable sources of energy.”

Currently, over 50% of waste generated in the United States is disposed of in landfills annually. At the present rate in the United States alone, 3,500 acres are lost annually to landfills, and this number will continue to rise to keep pace with our ever-increasing generation of trash.

Benefits of EfW

The US Environmental Protection Agency has stated that EfW plants are a “clean, reliable, and renewable source of energy” that “produces electricity with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity.”
Landfill-free solution
The by-product of EfW yields energy that powers millions of homes across North America
Can save 2 barrels of crude oil, 12,000 cubic feet of natural gas, and 1,200 pounds of coal per year for every household serviced
Knowledge that all waste is properly and permanently disposed of

The EfW Difference

Over the past 25 years, the EfW industry has developed state-of-the-art technology that makes EfW one of the cleanest forms of energy generation. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, Department of Energy and 23 states have classified EfW as a renewable technology, and the Department of Energy states that turning solid waste into energy makes “important contributions to the overall effort to achieve increased renewable energy use and the many associated positive environmental benefits.” The advanced technology in combusting waste is the air quality (emission) control system. EfW facilities meet or exceed the strictest federal standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and employ a multi-step process to achieve superior environmental performance.