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Waste-to-Energy Around the World To an even greater extent than in the United States, waste-to-energy has thrived in Europe and Asia as the preeminent method of waste disposal. Lauding waste-to-energy for its ability to reduce the volume of waste in an environmentally-friendly manner, generate valuable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, European nations rely on waste-to-energy as the preferred method of waste disposal. In fact, the European Union has issued a legally binding requirement for its Member States to limit the landfilling of biodegradable waste.
(a) Facilities with energy recovery The Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP) notes that Europe currently treats 50 million ton of wastes at waste-to-energy plants each year, generating an amount of energy that can supply electricity for 27 million people or heat for 13 million people. Upcoming changes to EU legislation will have a profound impact on how much further the technology will help achieve environmental protection goals. Describing the advances of waste-to-energy, the German Ministry for the Environment cites drastic reductions in emissions of dioxin, dust and mercury. The Swedish Ambassador to Canada recently wrote an article in which he touts the dramatic reductions of emissions, particularly in the case of dioxins. Fifteen years ago, 18 Swedish waste-to-energy plants emitted a total of about 100 grams of dioxins every year. Today, the collective dioxin emissions from all 29 Swedish waste-to-energy plants amounts to 0.7 of a gram. It is clear that Europe has made similar strides as the United States with respect to emissions reductions. IWSA continues to work to ensure that the acceptance of waste-to-energy in the U.S. tracks the European experience as well. Resources:
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