A big issue popping up in the waste and environmental industry now days is whether burning waste is actually better than disposing of it at a Waste to Energy Landfill. To us, it’s a no-brainer.
Incinerators are an unclean energy source and pose a real risk to the environment and the community. Even an incinerator with advanced technology releases thousands of pollutants that contaminate our air, soil and water and can even enter the food supply. Especially at risk are incinerator workers and people living near incinerators that become exposed to dioxin and other contaminants.
A WTE Landfill is by far a cleaner alternative. When waste is deposited in a landfill, it begins to decompose and naturally produces methane. Releasing this gas into the atmosphere can lead to negative environmental and air quality impacts, but a WTE Landfill, such as American Environmental Landfill, actually captures the methane and repurposes it, creating electricity to power homes.
Other factors? Well, let’s talk about cost efficiency.
Incinerators are a huge waste of energy. Although they burn large amounts of reusable materials, they can only generate small amounts of energy for their trouble. This is due to the low calorific value of waste, which makes the whole burning process wasteful.
A WTE Landfill, on the other hand, can use methane from trash materials extremely efficiently. Methane, after all, is the main ingredient in natural gas—one of the most efficient energy resources we have available today. A WTE landfill can burn that gas cost-effectively and readily turn it into electricity to power businesses and homes.
And, if you’re wanting a green solution, then using gas from non-recyclable waste material makes better sense. By converting thousands of tons of trash per day into energy, a WTE landfill protects the region’s air and water quality from increased carbon emissions. Not only does the process generate electricity, but it also offsets fossil fuel consumption and reduces greenhouse gas to create an incredible energy resource.
Incineration is not renewable—since it burns trash material– paper, plastic, metal– made from our natural resources.
So, as you can see, a WTE Landfill is the right choice when it comes to Tulsa’s disposal needs. Not only does it deliver cleaner air and water over burning, but it increases jobs and helps boost the economy in the process.
Most notably, WTE Landfills produce a reliable, renewable, local fuel source that reduces our reliance on fossil fuels.
So, what do you think? Would you rather have a safe and productive solution to our growing waste needs or would you rather just burn our trash because someone says it’s eco-friendly?
We think the choice is clear.