Waste-to-Energy

Waste-to-energy refers to any waste treatment that creates energy in the form of electricity or heat from a waste source.  Most waste-to-energy processes produce electricity directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel such as methane, methanol, ethanol, or synthetic fuels. The energy produced by the United States' waste-to-energy plants has the potential to produce the electricity generating equivalent of 30 million barrels of crude oil. Waste-to-energy plants are capable of helping to reduce the amount of garbage in landfills by changing this waste into an energy product. Utilizing municipal wastes as a feedstock to produce energy will help to not only reduce landfill volume, but can be counted on as a reliable source of energy moving forward. The average American throws away about 5 pounds of trash every day. Americans are producing more and more waste with each passing year and populated areas are running out of space for new landfills. According to the Integrated Waste Services Association, for every ton of trash disposed in a waste to energy plant, there is one ton less of carbon dioxide emission released into the air.

Waste-to-energy plants may be able to use many different types of technologies.  One of those is the anaerobic digester.  Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digesters reduce the emissions from landfill gas and also create a renewable energy. The process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production helping to reduce the use of fossil fuels. The nutrient rich solids left over from digestion can be used as a fertilizer.  As the waste-to-energy market continues to evolve, Carbon Green LLC is dedicated to maximizing the economic value of their clients operations.

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