Chapter 21: Problem 5

What are the advantages and disadvantages of WTE combustion?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Advantages of WTE combustion include the reduction in volume of waste, generation of energy, and reduction in landfill usage. Disadvantages include air pollution, production of toxic ash, and high initial costs.

Step by step solution

Identify advantages

List and explain the advantages of Waste-to-energy combustion. They mainly include 1. Reduction in volume of waste. Since combustion reduces the volume of waste material by up to 95%, especially if the waste had a lot of plastic. 2. Generation of energy since combustion process can create heat which is further converted to power. 3. Reduction in landfill usage. As WTE technology decreases the volume of waste, less landfill space is required.

Identify disadvantages

Similarly, list and explain the disadvantages of Waste-to-Energy Combustion. They include: 1. Air pollution. Combustion of waste material can generate pollutants, including particulate matter and gases like carbon dioxide, which can contribute to air pollution and global warming. 2. Toxic Ash: The process of combusting waste material produces ash, which can contain heavy metals and other potentially toxic materials. 3. High initial cost. The construction of WTE combustion plants can be costly.

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of WTE combustion?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Identify advantages

Identify disadvantages

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