What happens to our rubbish - Energy from waste

Energy From Waste

It is possible to create energy from our rubbish. This is done by burning the rubbish at high temperatures in a big fireplace and using the heat to make steam, which is then used to produce electricity. This process is known as incineration.

Lorries full of rubbish (that has not been sorted for recycling) bring all sorts of waste to the incinerator plant. The incinerator turns these unwanted things into useful energy for people to use in their homes or at work. Inside an incinerator, the smoke and steam that is made is cleaned so that it doesn't harm us, the environment or other animals. There is still a little bit of waste that comes from incineration (which is known as fly ash) and this still has to be taken to a landfill.

A small amount of energy is also produced from landfill sites. Here, gas that is produced in a landfill when the food and garden waste rots - is collected and then burnt in a turbine - This produces electricty while also reducing the amount of Methane going into our atmosphere.

Both these processes are forms of energy recovery, because otherwise this energy would be lost to us. If we cannot Reduce, Reuse and Recycle our waste, it is best that we recover the energy.