How Can We Solve Our Waste and Landfill Problems?
Re-usable waste can change the way we power our society.
Every time we throw a bag of trash out to the curb, we not only pollute the earth, but also waste a valuable resource: methane gas. Many countries have already started using methane gasses emitted by the trash they produce to power their countries. Not only has this added to the beauty of their nation, but it has saved them a bunch of money. So why haven’t we all started doing this? Because people have been waiting for somebody else to get this started.
Most countries are struggling to deal with their waste problems. In fact, there is a coagulated island of trash in the Pacific Ocean that is now as large in size as the state of Texas. Poor management of waste impacts on the public health of entire communities and cities; pollutes local water, air and land resources; contributes to climate change and ocean plastic pollution. With climate change as an obvious problem, re-using our trash is one of the obvious solutions to saving the planet we live in.
Solid waste management until now has only been a social responsibility of the corporate world or one of the services to be provided by the municipality and a non-priority for national governments. However, in Mumbai, the improperly managed wastes generate 22,000 tons of toxic pollutants like particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrous and sulfur oxides in addition to 10,000 grams of carcinogenic dioxins and furans every year. These numbers are only for the city of Mumbai. This is the case in cities all across the developing world. There are numerous examples where groundwater is polluted by heavy metals and organic contaminants due to solid waste landfills.
Given that the world also has a growing energy problem, and the fact that we do have the Technology available to turn waste into energy whilst actually producing no toxic emissions, isn’t the solution staring us in the face?
The Solution: Re-Usable Energy
Energy recovery from problematic Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) can assuage significant portion of a city’s energy requirement whilst at the same time eliminating the problem of waste disposal. Reducing landfills will reduce ground and surface water pollution, which can also help provide cleaner drinking water.
Additionally, a good solid waste management plan with cost recovery mechanisms can free tax payer’s money for other uses. In the case of India, sustainable solid waste management in 2011 would have provided
9.6 million tons of compost that could have resulted in a better agricultural yield
energy equivalent to 58 million barrels of oil from non-recyclable wastes
6.7 million tons of secondary raw materials to industries in the form of recyclable materials and livelihood to the urban poor
Conversion of waste to energy is an extremely valid and viable route for managing waste and utilizing its products.
An effective Utag Plasma Gasification WTE plant should be able to generate a number of revenue streams: gate fees for the waste it receives, generated electricity which is sold to the local grid on long-term power purchase agreements, and potential revenue from the sale of recyclables removed or the sale of heat to co-located industries. This approach is of growing interest to the major European energy providers, who must boost their renewable electricity output 15%-20% to meet the targets. With commercial waste predicted to increase by 50% by 2020, the ability to build small plants in industrial areas could transform the energy landscape with local waste being used to produce local electricity.
Here we list just 10 benefits. (Credit to Melting Coal)
Production and use of energy: Electricity and heat can be generated from waste which provide an alternative and more environment-friendly source of energy
Reduction of waste going to landfill: Waste that would have normally gone to landfills is diverted to an energy processing unit thereby saving valuable land. A Plasma Power Plant can also utilise existing landfill content as a feedstock, thus cleaning up previously toxic sites and enabling them to be sold for other uses such as development.
Avoidance of disposal costs and landfill taxes: The cost associated with the transport of wastes to landfill is reduced and also landfill taxes imposed by governing bodies are avoided.
Use of by-products as fertilizers: The by-product of some waste to energy processes such as anaerobic digestion can be used as fertilizers and improves the nutrient content of soil.
Avoid methane emissions from landfills: When waste is delivered to a waste to energy facility, the methane that would have been generated if it were sent to a landfill is avoided
Reduction in carbon emitted: On generating energy from waste, the carbon emission that would have been generated from a fossil fuel source is avoided.
Reduction of reliance on fossil fuel: Fluctuations in oil prices and rising costs can be avoided. Waste to energy does not rely on fossil fuel hence the dependence on oil reduced.
Domestic production of energy: Plenty of waste is generated locally and hence there is no requirement of transportation of materials or this process from far out.
Benefit to the local community and economy: As waste to energy plants are generally setup locally it creates jobs, the local community benefits and materials are sourced locally.
Stability in availability of energy and its price: Using of waste to generate electricity can help reduce fluctuations of price. Also, there are no wide fluctuations and shortages in availability.
This is not only the socially responsible solution, but it will save us money as well (both the hippies and business moguls can be happy). Not only do we create jobs, but cut back on pollution, save the environment, and create a more stable society.