Landfills vs. Waste to Energy Facilities

 

• As waste decomposes in a landfill, it produces methane.

• Methane is a greenhouse gas, mostly emitted from decomposing waste in landfills, which is 20 – 25 times the potency of carbon dioxide and is ranked as a dangerous contributor to climate change.

•  Methane gases are also harmful for the ozone layer.  If the ozone layer gets thinner it increases the risk of skin cancer.

• Keeping waste out of landfills means more open space and less risk of leaking toxins into groundwater and releasing harmful air emissions.

• The risk of ground water contamination could be a public health hazard as the groundwater could be used produce drinking water.

• No methane is produced from WtE facilities, nor does the risk exists to pollute the groundwater.

• Waste to Energy facilities avoid the production of methane while producing significantly more electricity from each ton of waste compared to landfills.

• Further GHG reductions are realized by the avoidance of carbon emissions from long-haul transportation methods used to transport garbage to distant landfills.

•  Waste used as fuel in WtE facilities is typically generated in the surrounding area.

• Waste to Energy facilities also recycle metal that would have otherwise been land filled. In total, creating energy from waste is simply a better solution.