One of the newest and most exciting developments in the waste management industry is energy from waste technology, which can take things that we would normally throw away and convert them into valuable fuel. Not only does this keep waste from reaching landfills but it also offers an alternative to fossil fuels which will not create nearly the amount of carbon emissions. The idea of being able to take rubbish and turn it into valuable fuel seems like something out of a science fiction movie, but according to a recent report more than sixty percent of the homes in London could easily be fueled by rubbish. The United Kingdom has been in the news over recent weeks for its failure to reduce the size of its landfills as per the European Union directive.
The London Assembly aims to get councils to stop putting additional waste into landfills or simply burning it. Instead the goals are to take rubbish that cannot be recycled and turn it into enough electricity to fuel nearly two million homes in London. The report gives several innovative suggestions for how rubbish could be turned into electricity including using thermal treatment, breaking the matter down with bacteria, and using a super high temperature process known as gasification. Although some of these techniques are new the report insists that they can be implemented in the United Kingdom. These types of plants are popping up all over the United Kingdom and are use a wide variety of waste including crop waste, dirty diapers, and even human feces to create energy.
|
|
