From waste to worth: advances in energy recovery technologies for solid waste management

Abstract

Abstract Clean, inexpensive, and renewable energy sources with zero adverse environmental impact are essential for long-term sustainability. Implementing waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies has been suggested to improve solid waste management and promote the development of clean and sustainable urban environments. This involves the retrieval of waste materials and their conversion to electricity. By 2050, the global rate of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) production is anticipated to rise to 2.01 billion tonnes annually. This study evaluated various WtE technologies that have been developed to date. These technologies can be categorized into three groups: thermochemical methods (incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification), biochemical methods (anaerobic digestion and landfilling), and hybrid waste-to-energy systems. Additionally, the discussion touched upon various environmental aspects, highlighting the advantages of reducing CO X , NO X , SO X , furans, and dioxin emissions. Furthermore, this study thoroughly describes the economic impact of various steps on a WtE plant. It also discusses policy and regulatory frameworks, namely availability, affordability, rights, social aspects, and environmental issues, that aim to incorporate principles of ethics, justice, planning, and decision-making when evaluating different aspects of energy systems. Graphical Abstract