MATRIX Strategic Solutions

Introduction to waste to energy (W2E)

Quote

"The most urgent problem of today's technologies is no longer the satisfaction of basic needs or fundamental wishes, but the elimination of problems and damages which the technologies of yesterday have left us"

Dennis Gabor, Engl - Hungarian Physist

Across the planet, each person on average produces between 0.2 and 1 kg of solid waste per day. This does not include industrial and construction wastes. Depending on the regional development, this value can be significantly higher. In total an estimated 47.450 bill t p.a.
Much of the solid waste in developing countries is dumped in landfills or on waste dumps.
In industrialised countries, the majority of the waste is processed in incineration plants, which serve the purpose to reduce the volume of the waste. The resulting slag and the ashes from the incineration process have to be deposited on landfills due to their high toxicity (dioxins, heavy metals etc.).
The minority of the world’s waste dumps and landfills are managed in such a way, as to prevent leaching into ground water / surface water and emissions of methane, ammonia and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and POP’s (persistent organic pollutants).
An efficient waste management entails not only the management of landfills / waste dumps, but also the logistics (waste collection) and emissions management, irrespective of what solution is chosen.
Until the daily waste streams are not covered and managed by an encompassing waste management system, the waste dumps / landfills will continue to grow and the inherent health and environmental problems continue to prevail.
Necessary considerations with any modern approach are

Only once the waste management system is considered as an integral part of the objective of balancing the ecosystem and man’s part in it, will the benefits and subsequent positive results become an asset for any region and country.

waste collection (logistics, frequency, costs)
waste disposal and processing (system / technology e.g. waste reduction e.g. incineration, waste-to-energy (W2E), waste-to-fuel)
secondary by-product usage (metals for recycling)
remnant waste storage (fly ash, bottom ash, slag)
risks and benefits to the incumbent culture and society (collection, sorting, littering, costs etc.)
existing landfill management resp. rejuvenation

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