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Are Waste-To-Energy Plants Really The Solution?

Updated: Nov 14, 2019


July 08, 2019

Kamal Ojibara

Senior Writer, Scrap-It!




You’re probably wondering, what the heck is a Waste-To-Energy Plant? To simply put it, Waste-To-Energy(WTE) plants are facilities that convert garbage to energy! It essentially burns the waste and with that heat, it propels a turbine to generate electricity. It perfectly fits the phrase, “To kill two birds with one stone”. It solves the waste problem while solving the energy problem.

It has been documented that these facilities are beneficial, economical and clean for the earth. Because of this, it is often assumed that WTE plants are the best option and pose no risks. However, some environmental groups believe that waste to energy plants are not the best option.

Although WTE plants convert unwanted waste materials to energy, it can produce harmful toxins such as CO2 that can be released into the atmosphere. However, according to researchers and scientists, the amount of CO2 that would be potentially released would only be half the amount of what the average landfills are already producing.

According to World Economic Forum, The Chinese government is in the process of developing the World’s largest WTE plant in Shenzhen, China. However, many residents are not a fan of the new project.



The architects of the plant described it as being simple, clean, and iconic. However local environmental groups fear that it could cause harmful white ash and pollutants to end up in the nearby reservoir.

It is said that this plant will tackle one-third of the waste produced by the city but obviously this isn’t a long term fix. The ultimate goal is to become a sufficient circular economy where discarded items are reused, recycled and upcycled.

Organizations like Scrap-It! help bring the goal of a circular economy into fruition. Scrap-It! Utilizes its app to create transparency in the recycle and waste chain. By tracking where the items go, the consumer can be informed of the whereabouts of their former items.

Scrap-It! does its best to divert items from ending up in landfills by partnering with many drop-off sites such as charities, thrift shops, and recycle centers to make it easier for junk removal haulers to dispose of these items.

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Thinking about your next garage clean out, or how to donate unwanted goods or items? Check out Scrap-It! the best junk removal service in Long Island. Many like to refer to them as the Uber of Junk Removal.



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1 Comment


chuckcj422
Sep 10, 2020

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