Incineration.

Using a combustion process, incineration takes varied waste streams, often municipal waste, and converts it into hot gas and ash, reducing its volume by up to 90% and its weight by around 30%

The heat from the combustion process is used to heat water and produce steam, similar to the method used in coal, gas and nuclear power plants. The steam spins a turbine, producing electricity. In some WtE plants known as ‘cogeneration’ plants, hot gases left over from the combustion process are used to heat local businesses and for other heat intensive processes such as desalinisation, further pushing the energy efficiency of the approach.

Ash produced by incinerating the waste is the only by-product. Magnets can be used to remove any metals that can be recycled from this. The remaining ash can be used in construction as aggregate or sent to landfill.

A range of processes are often employed to remove, neutralise and capture the harmful substances in the gas emissions from incineration plants, significantly improving the environmental viability of the technology.