Energy Conversion and Integrated Solid Waste Management - Essay Example

Energy Conversion and Integrated Solid Waste Management Energy could be recovered from waste. First, the combustible solid waste could be burned to produce energy. Secondly, waste could be processed so as to improve its heat value, make its handling in the combustor easier and thus produce energy. Finally, waste could be processed and combined with other fuels, then co-fired to produce energy (Worrell & Vesilind, 2012). Refuse could be burned either through mass burn combustors, that is as it is, or through processing leading to production of refuse-derived fuel.

According to Worrell and Vesilind (2012), refuse combustion reduces the volume of refuse by 90%. Nonetheless, the resultant combustion ash leads to concentration of inorganic hazardous materials in the refuse. Additionally, refuse combustion could yield other chemicals that could be toxic. The remaining 10% of waste has to be disposed off, mostly landfilled.The Integrated Solid Waste Management, ISMW, is a national solid waste management strategy developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA to assist local communities in making decisions that promote the most environmentally acceptable strategies.

This gives a list of five, starting from the most desirable to the least desirable strategy. The first strategy is to reduce the quantity of waste generated from the source to minimize the effect on energy reserves and natural resources. The next most desirable strategy is to reuse materials. After implementing the first two, materials would then be recycled and recovered. Then, combustion, including all treatment methods, follows. Finally, after implementing all the four strategies, the remaining refuse would be landfilled.

Engineering helps in balancing community needs when implementing the ISWM strategy to avoid any problems. This strategy has led to the dramatic growth of recycling in the past 20 years, Worrell and Vesilind (2012) documenting a growth from 10% recycling in 1989 to 59% in 2008 in California and 16% in 1990 to 33% in 2008 nationally.ReferenceWorrell, W. A. & Vesilind, P. A. (2012). Solid waste engineering (2nd ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.