Industry Research

There are many great resources available detailing the benefits and successes of waste-to-energy facilities.

General

• 2016 Directory of Waste-to-Energy Facilities in the U.S. (Energy Recovery Council)
• Energy from Waste: A Wasted Opportunity? (British Institution of Mechanical Engineers)
• 2014 Energy and Economic Value of Municipal Solid Waste and Non-recycled Plastics Currently Landfilled in the Fifty States (Earth Engineering Center)

“Diversion of all MSW from landfills to WTE plants could result in reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of waste management in the U.S. by at least 123 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (2.1% of U.S. total greenhouse gas emissions), comparable to the annual emissions of over 23 million cars.” - Earth Engineering Center

Renewable

• Renewable Fact Sheet: Waste-to-Energy State Renewable Statutes (Energy Recovery Council)
• Waste-to-Energy is a Climate-Friendly, Renewable Energy Source (Energy Recovery Council)
• Davos Report: Green Investing Toward a Clean Energy Infrastructure (World Economic Forum)
• ASME White Paper on WTE as a Renewable Energy Source (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

"Governments at all levels have called for increased use of renewable energy, including waste-to-energy, in order to develop homegrown energy sources, establish energy independence, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions." - Energy Recovery Council

Climate Change

• Energy from Waste Can Help Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Center for American Progress)
• Better Management of Municipal Waste will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (European Environment Agency)
• Waste Not, Want Not: The Facts Behind Waste-to-Energy (Energy Recovery Council)
• Waste Sector's Contribution to Climate Protection (German BDE)
• Application of the U.S. Decision Support Tool for Materials and Waste Management (Thorneloe)
• Is It Better to Burn or Bury Waste for Clean Electricity Generation (Kaplan, DeCarolis, Thorneloe)
• Getting it Right: The Next Fifteen Years of Energy (Third Way)
• Energy from Waste: Greenhouse Gas Winner or Pollution Loser? (POWER)

“Both energy from waste and recycling and composting efforts are a win-win-win for the United States. EfW generates clean electricity, decreases greenhouse gases that would have been emitted from landfills and fossil-fuel power plants, and pairs well with increased recycling rates in states.” - Center for American Progress

Recycling

• 2014 Update: A Compatibility Study: Recycling and Waste-to-Energy Work in Concert (Berenyi)

"Communities using waste-to-energy have recycling rates that are slightly above the national average and above the aggregate recycling rate of the states in which they operate. Therefore, it can be concluded that recycling and waste-to-energy are compatible waste management strategies. They form part of a successful, integrated waste management approach in many communities across the United States." - Eileen Berenyi, Governmental Advisory Associates

Economics

• Nationwide Economic Benefits of the Waste-to-Energy Sector (Berenyi)
• Statewide Economic Benefits of Connecticut's Waste-to-Energy Sector (Berenyi)

“The waste-to-energy sector provides significant economic value in the communities in which these facilities operate. In addition to the revenues generated by the sector, waste-to-energy facilities provide stable, long-term, well-paying jobs, while simultaneously pumping dollars into local economies through the purchase of local goods and services and the payment of fees and taxes.” - Eileen Berenyi, Governmental Advisory Associates