Value can be recovered from waste which cannot be recycled or composted by using it to generate energy, heat and to collect residual materials for recycling.
Energy-from-waste (EfW) is the recovery of renewable energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the controlled incineration of residual waste. Every municipal EfW plant in the UK recovers value from the waste treated. All twenty facilities recover energy while a number also recover heat, metals and other materials which can be safely recycled and used in construction.
Currently, 2.8 million tonnes (8%) of municipal waste are treated by energy from waste facilities. The Government’s Waste Strategy for England 2007 anticipates that EfW activity will increase in the future, estimating that it will account for 25% of municipal waste treatment in England by 2020.
In 2006, energy from waste generated the equivalent of 776,000 tonnes of oil, generating enough power for over ¼ million homes through Combined Heat and Power schemes.
