Waste-to-energy is an important part of the waste industry in Europe.
Significant demand for heat means efficient and tightly controlled waste incinerators are common.
What are solid waste fuels?
40% off TNW Conference!
The amount of rubbish it produces is growing more rapidly than bothour population and our economy.
Briquettes or fuel pellets can be made out of paper, plastic, wood waste or textiles.
Suitable materials include non-recyclable papers, plastics, wood waste and textiles.
All of these typically end up in landfill.
Solid waste fuels are produced to specified qualities by different treatment methods.
These include drying, shredding, and compressing into briquettes or fuel pellets.
Fuels can be specifically tailored for ease of transportation and for different uses where industrial heat is required.
This make them suitable alternatives to fossil fuels.
What are solid waste fuels used for?
Fuel pellets made from waste can be burned for energy.
(Credit: tchara/shutterstock)
What are the key benefits?
The primary environmental benefit of solid waste fuel comes from the reductions in landfill emissions and fossil fuel use.
Biodegradable carbon sources decompose in landfill, creating methane.
This is a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 25 times that of carbon dioxide.
Waste-derived fuel can also have a smaller carbon footprint than fossil fuels.
In these cases, solid waste fuels are eligible forrenewable energy certificates.
More advanced closed-loop concepts achieve even better carbon balances bycapturing the carbon dioxidereleased when the fuel is used.
Converting them into fuel prevents the leaching of harmful substances into the environment, and other potential problems.
Credit: Arma banchang/shutterstock
What are the challenges?
Communities arelegitimately concernedabout energy recovery from waste owing to public health risks.
But, with solid regulation and the best available pollution-control technology, these emissions can be managed.
Famously, solid waste fuel is so important to Sweden it actuallyimports garbagefrom other European countries.
