One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s…Energy? Denmark Turns Garbage Into Electricity
Photo Credit: D'Arcy Norman
I never thought I would see the day in which trash could excite me. However, Denmark’s approach to trash disposal is pushing the envelope. Using a recent wave of modern incinerator plants, Denmark is turning trash into an abundant source of clean energy. These new plants are able to convert thousands of tons of garbage into heat and electricity. Furthermore the filters these plants use are so advanced, that many times more dioxin is released from home fireplaces and backyard barbeques than from incineration. Rather than being a problem as it is in our country, Denmark now regards trash as a clean, alternative fuel.
Unfortunately the trend is not catching on in the United States. Distant landfills still remain the primary “solution” and destination for our nation’s waste. New York for example spends millions of dollars a year to shuttle its trash to landfills in other states. This costs a lot of money and produces a large number of emissions from the fuel required to power the trucks that take the trash.
Surprisingly, there are some U.S. environmentalists who oppose the construction of waste-to-energy incinerator plants. Some say these deter recycling and are an excuse to avoid reducing waste. While this argument initially sounds reasonable, it quickly looses steam when we take another look at Denmark and other European countries that use such plants. In these areas, anything that can be recycled…is! Only non-recyclable waste is sent to the incinerator. Furthermore, Germany and Denmark, two countries who have capitalized on the new incinerator technology, have some of the highest recycling rates around.
Read the full article at The New York Times.
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Good article. Got me thinking. At first, I was also sided with the environmentalist view that incinerators would reduce the desire to recycle, but if Germany and Denmark still have some of the highest recycling rates then I am definitely for it. I do understand the other environmentalist view, which is that money spent on incinerators should be spent trying to increase recycling or no waste awareness, however it seems that money saved from transporting all the waste from New York to landfills in other states could be used to do that…
thanks for this information. I will forward it on to the County Council where I live. Hopefully it will provide them with some inspiration on alternative energy beyond wind and solar.