As the planet becomes more populated and consumers have almost instant access to disposable goods, our landfills are filling up faster than their waste can biodegrade. Each month, millions of tons of waste is produced in America, which will either become part of landfills or exported to third-world countries. The environmental concerns of our world’s waste issue has prompted the need for innovative and unconventional solutions. Enter Waste-to-Energy, a promising new technology that offers recovery of energy by conversion of non-recyclable materials through various processes. Energy can be produced from waste through two methods: Thermal and nonthermal technologies.
Thermal Technologies
As the name suggests, thermal technology uses heat to convert waste into energy. There are several processes that fall under this umbrella.
· Depolymerization uses thermal decomposition by means of superheated water. Waste compounds are heated at high temperatures in a process that mimics the natural conditions in which fossil fuels are created.
· Gasification converts waste substances into carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen. This process employs high temperatures to obtain results, and steam or oxygen is also used. The gas that is produced from this procedure is called synthesis gas and can be used for heat and electricity production, among others.
· Plasma gasification utilizes a plasma torch to ionize and obtain synthesis gas. The process generates electricity while compressing the waste.
Nonthermal Technologies
Nonthermal technology does not use heat and are natural processes that take place in a controlled environment.
· Fermentation is a slow process that takes biomass and creates ethanol using waste material. In the natural fermentation process, the sugar in the waste is changed to carbon dioxide and alcohol - the same general process that is used to make wine.
· Anaerobic digestion is a slow but natural process that uses microorganisms to destroy biodegradable content. The process produces biogas, which can be used directly as fuel or upgraded to biomethane.
As Waste-to-Energy begins to gain popularity around the globe, the technologies
will inevitably evolve to be more efficient as well. If you feel that your home
is overrun with waste and are not sure where to start, Junk Recyclers can help.
We can clean and remove years of junk, garbage, and unwanted items, and will
also haul away your renovation debris, yard waste, appliances, electronics,
furniture, miscellaneous trash, and more. We care about the environment, so we
always recycle items that can be recycled. If being “green” is important to
you, contact Junk Recyclers
to tackle your commercial or residential waste situation!
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