When a ton of trash is delivered to a waste-to-energy plant,
several things happen: the energy content of the waste is
retrieved, metals are recovered and recycled, and electricity is
generated. An EPA-sponsored lifecycle analysis evaluated a
variety of waste management options and their associated
environmental and energy impacts, and found that waste-to-energy
does the most to reduce greenhouse gas releases into the
atmosphere. The EPA’s Municipal Solid Waste Decision Support
Tool has demonstrated that a modern waste-to-energy plant
provides for the avoidance of greenhouse gases through three
different operations: For every megawatt of electricity
generated through the combustion of solid waste, a megawatt of
electricity from conventional, e.g., coal or oil-fired, power
plants is avoided, creating a net savings of emissions of
greenhouse gases, i.e., carbon dioxide. A modern municipal
waste-to-energy facility separates ferrous and/or nonferrous
metals for recycling. This is more energy efficient than mining