And more information...

• What is Waste?*

Waste can be defined as substances or materials for which the owner or generator has no further use, and are discarded.

• What is Solid Waste?

Solid waste is what we generally call garbage. It includes waste from home, offices, businesses, institutions, and industries, with the exception of specific wastes that are designated as hazardous.

• How is waste disposal damaging to the environment?

Leachate** from unsound land disposal sites can contaminate groundwater and soils if it is not carefully controlled, and landfill gases can contribute to global warming. Incineration of wastes creates a new set of environmental challenges, in the form of air emissions that must be strictly controlled, and ashes that require careful disposal. Although modern techniques can greatly reduce the risk on environmental damage, no method of waste disposal is entirely harmless to the environment.

• What is a solid waste Incinerator?

A solid waste incinerator is a facility where solid waste is burned under controlled conditions.
Through a very complicated system, incinerators recover energy from the incineration of waste. This is known as resource recovery. The energy recovered can be used to make steam for heating, electrical generation, or industrial processes.

• Why is solid waste Incinerator controversial?

One area of concern is air emissions. Without proper controls, incinerators can release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. These can include heavy metals such as lead, and mercury; dioxins, furans, and other harmful organic chemicals; and gases that contribute to acid rain.
Another concern, two types of ash that are generated. Bottom ash consists of unburned or partially burned material, that can be disposed in sanitary landfill sites. Also, fly ash, light particles that rise off the burning waste and are trapped by air pollution systems. Fly ash is considered a hazardous waste requiring special treatment and disposal.
Finally, some people are concerned that incinerators may discourage some waste reduction and recycling efforts, since recyclable materials like plastics and paper have high energy contents and can be valuable fuels for incinerators.

Notes
* A Primer on Waste Management-The Environmental Citizenship Series, Environment Canada, 1996
** Leachate: Liquid that has peroclated through solid material and removed soluble components. In land disposal sites, leachate is formed when moisture peroclates through layers of waste, dissolving and carrying along various chemicals.