Europe Finds Cleaner Energy in Trash, But U.S. Lags.

[Stuart G]

Huffington Post, New York Times..

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/science/earth/13trash.html

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Published: April 12, 2010

HORSHOLM, Denmark — The lawyers and engineers who dwell in an elegant enclave here are at peace with the hulking neighbor just over the back fence: a vast energy plant that burns thousands of tons of household garbage and industrial waste, round the clock.


The Vestforbraending plant in Copenhagen, the largest of the 29 waste-to-energy plants in Denmark. Their use has reduced the country's energy costs.
Far cleaner than conventional incinerators, this new type of plant converts local trash into heat and electricity. Dozens of filters catch pollutants, from mercury to dioxin, that would have emerged from its smokestack only a decade ago.

In that time, such plants have become both the mainstay of garbage disposal and a crucial fuel source across Denmark, from wealthy exurbs like Horsholm to Copenhagen’s downtown area. Their use has not only reduced the country’s energy costs and reliance on oil and gas, but also benefited the environment, diminishing the use of landfills and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The plants run so cleanly that many times more dioxin is now released from home fireplaces and backyard barbecues than from incineration.

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Clean burning energy...what a simple idea..Perhaps the coal burning electric companies might take an idea from this story..

[PaulaFarrell]

1. There are issues with incinerators

even 'clean-burning' ones. From what I know, waste companies sign agreements with municipal bpodies to provide a minimum amount of 'waste' - this can reduce the incentive to recycle and reduce waste. I don't know Denmark's recycling rates, but waste comes from somnehwere, it uses up resources, and burning it for energy just supports the whole consumer ethos of using things once and throwing them away - not a long-term sustainable solution but a quick fix.

[Hestia]

2. Eco-Tech on the Science Channel showed some of these in action

I guess we have to wait for a hedgefund to buy the equipment, use it and raise the rates to astronomic levels before we'll see tech like this.

[dbmk]

3. Can see the place from my apartment

Only the top of the chimney, though. :)

It has an attached recycling station - was down there last week with some electronics and odd size trash.

And while it might solve the problems generated by hyper consumerism - I am pretty sure detracts little from the efforts to increase recycling and lessening waste.

As late as yesterday the Minister of the Environment threw a goal of reducing the generation of waste by 50% out there.