[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/EW-10-11-13-Debate-Over-Trash.mp3|titles=EW 10-11-13 Debate Over Trash]
There is no shortage of trash in the world. Figuring out what to do with it is a challenge that grows larger all the time.
In the United States, more than half of our trash ends up in landfills. A major source of methane, landfills are among the least desirable solutions to the trash problem.
In Europe, a debate is raging over the benefits of recycling vs. burning trash. Waste-to-energy is the catch phrase for the use of incinerators. In countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, more than half of all trash is incinerated. In Germany, it is 37%. But in these countries, there is also a high rate of recycling and composting. Landfill use is quite low.
The debate centers around the fact that waste-to-energy destroys the resources contained in trash for good. Furthermore, incinerator plants are very expensive to build which leads to long-term contracts for their use that mandate large volumes of waste-to-energy generation. This leads to reduced recycling. Leaders of the international zero-waste movement are strong opponents of incinerators, since the movement advocates the reuse of almost all products and materials.
The counterargument is that recycling is expensive and energy consuming. But the energy calculations are complicated and dependent on the actual composition of the waste stream. Communities with limited landfill space often end up relying heavily on incinerators.
Both sides of the argument agree that keeping waste out of landfills is of the greatest importance. In the big picture, waste-to-energy and recycling are complementary approaches to a tough problem.
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Web Links
Incineration Versus Recycling: In Europe, A Debate Over Trash
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/incineration_versus_recycling__in_europe_a_debate_over_trash/2686
Photo, taken on January 11, 2007, courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.