Energy from Waste
We must find alternatives to fossil fuels for our energy. We must also tackle the huge amount of waste we send to landfill. Waste that is packed with energy. An obvious solution would be to extract energy from the waste but it is never that simple. Energy can be extracted using different technologies such as anaerobic digestion used in some material recovery facilities or direct combustion (incineration) of the waste. EcoWarriorMe has previously commented on anaerobic digestion which produces methane gas that can be burned to produce heat, generate electricity or, in the case of CHP, both. The main criticism of this technology is that it generates demand for waste, particularly organic waste such as food. Incineration is probably the most controversial of the technologies due to the toxins which can be emitted from the plant. In the 1980s, controversy surrounded the waste incineration plant at Bonnybridge near Falkirk which was blamed for illness in livestock w...