Incineration and Energy Production

When you think about large quantities of waste, it might seem like there’s little that it can do to benefit anyone. That is, after all, what “waste” implies, right? Fortunately this isn’t really the case. For instance, incineration for the production of energy offers more possibilities than you think!

Waste-to-Energy Plants
The process of waste-to-energy is like any form of industrial resource extraction: it requires a specific set of technological requirements and procedures. The specifics of the process may vary from plant to plant, but the principle is often the same. Incoming waste is burned in combustion chambers, producing high amounts of heat which allow a boiler system to vaporize a water supply. This super-heated steam powers a steam turbine, which in turn powers a generator to produce electricity. Meanwhile, other peripheral processes control, neutralize, or repurpose the resulting ash, gases, and metal residues that emerge from combustion.

Key Benefits
Naturally, this is an excellent way to produce power from refuse that would otherwise serve no purpose. However, it’s especially powerful when the byproducts of waste-to-energy procedures are repurposed in the right ways. The ash, for instance, can be converted to building materials like cinder blocks. Beyond that, the ideal materials for waste-to-energy are the non-recyclables that can be tricky to find uses for, such as commercial refuse, kitchen trash, and bio waste. It can consolidate and optimize landfill size significantly, preventing the need for expansion that can arise from overflows.

Europe Leading the Way
While waste-to-energy has not yet been adopted very widely, the practice has its purveyors in particular parts of the world. Sweden, for instance, has become a model nation for the conversion of refuse to power, so much so that the country has a shortage of waste. As a result, Sweden is among Europe’s main importers of non-recyclable materials, purchasing trash from other countries in order to use it for energy extraction. Who knows, the landfill materials that go into your Economy Waste bin could end up being relocated or exported to continue developing the waste-to-energy process!

There’s always more than meets the eye when it comes to waste disposal. It’s our goal to educate our clients and guide them towards the smartest practices. Get in touch with Economy Waste by calling (587) 813-0236, and we’ll be happy to help you with your project!