Energy-From-Waste and Climate Change
“If the goal is greenhouse gas reduction, then WTE [Waste-to-Energy] should be considered as an option under U.S. renewable energy policies.1" - From a 2009 study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and North Carolina State University
When greenhouse gases (GHG) such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are released into the earth’s atmosphere, they trap infrared 
radiation from sunlight. This is stored as heat in the atmosphere and can be tied to the increase in the earth’s average temperature, causing what is known as global warming or climate change.
EfW offsets greenhouse gases to combat climate change. According to an independent analysis, undertaken on behalf of Covanta, for every tonne of waste processed at a EfW facility, the release of approximately 460 Kg of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions into the atmosphere is prevented due to the avoidance of methane generation at landfills, the offset of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel electrical production, and the recovery of metals.
FACT: Methane is a greenhouse gas, mostly emitted from decomposing waste in landfills in the United States, which is more than 20 times the potency of carbon dioxide and is ranked as a dangerous contributor to climate change.
EfW facilities avoid the production of methane while producing reliable and renewable electricity from each tonne of waste. Covanta’s facilities use advanced air pollution control equipment and continuous emissions monitoring systems that operate well below and comply with strict state and federal emission standards. Our EfW facilities operate 24/7 and are in compliance 99.9 percent of the time. We strive for outstanding environmental performance and compliance 100 percent of the time.
In the UK and Ireland, Covanta’s EfW facilities will be required to comply with the European Waste Incineration Directive which will be enforced by the respective Environment Agencies.
Here are additional environmental facts about Covanta and Energy-from-Waste:
• Covanta Energy’s EfW facilities worldwide have a significant negative net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Further GHG reductions are realised by the avoidance of carbon emissions from long-haul transportation methods used in shipping rubbish to distant landfills. Waste used as fuel in EfW facilities is typically generated in the surrounding area.
• Covanta’s Efw facilities average emissions are dramatically below the established limits —usually operating at 60-90 percent or more below the required limit.
• Approximately 40 percent of the cost to build a Covanta EfW plant is for pollution control technology to ensure the least environmental impact as possible.
• EfW facilities in the U.S. recover more than 634,000 tonnes of metal from the waste stream after local recycling efforts. Covanta alone recovers 363,000 tonnes of metal from the EfW process annually.
• Because most EfW facilities receive waste from local communities, carbon dioxide associated with the long-haul trucking of waste to distant landfills is also avoided.
• Under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism programme2, EfW is recognised as a source of greenhouse gas credits. The EfW facility operated by Covanta in Lee County, Florida is generating and selling these credits.
1 Excerpted from the U.S. EPA and North Carolina State University 2009 study “Is It Better to Burn or Bury Waste for Clean Electricity Generation?”Is It Better to Burn or Bury Waste for Clean Electricity Generation? Authors, P. Ozge Kaplan , Joseph Decarolis , and Susan Thorneloe, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, and Department of Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es802395e
2 Kyoto Protocol and the Clean Development Mechanism programme
The Kyoto Protocol is a United Nations international pact to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2012, which was never ratified by the United States. EfW is recommended as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and many countries with binding commitments to Kyoto, such as those in the European Union have.