Waste Incineration, Waste-to-Energy, or ThermalRecycling?: The Evolution of Waste-to-Energy

摘要

When something is finished with or broken, we recycle it or throw it away. It suddenlyrnbecomes a waste, with no apparent value any more and you end up paying to disposernof it. But in fact it can begin a new life. Today we can turn waste into electricity, heatrnand useable materials. How did we get there and what challenges do we face?rnMuch of the technology to make this possible has originated and taken place in Europe.rnThis paper will focus on the evolution of waste incineration in Germany as compared tornthe United States. A look back at how waste was disposed of helps establish arnperspective on today’s methodologies.