Alyssa Lappen penned an article for inFOCUS magazine entitled "Harnessing Energy from Trash" in which she advocates for implementing policies in the United States that would utilize the currently untapped energy potential in our trash.  The rest of the world has jumped ahead of the United States in terms of harnessing the energy in waste and Lappen urges the U.S. to catch up.  The Energy Recovery Council wholeheartedly agrees.  The ERC believes lawmakers and policymakers must recognize that the combustion of municipal solid waste produces clean, renewable, and climate-friendly energy.  Policies that provide the appropriate incentives for waste-to-energy will promote energy independence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support the communities that rely on this important technology.

Jackie Noblett of Mass High Tech wrote a story highlighting efforts to remove the regulatory moratorium on new waste-to-energy capacity in Massachusetts.  There is no legitimate basis to place a moratorium on waste-to-energy facilities.  The stringent state permitting and siting processes exist to ensure that only facilities that meet certain criteria can be built.  Arbitrarily prohibiting local governments from considering waste-to-energy limits their options and increases costs and risks associated with exporting large amounts of waste to neighboring states.  Waste-to-energy plants should not be subject to an arbitrary moratorium.  Rather, all facilities should be treated equally and subject to the same reviews.

The Christian Science Monitor published an article highlighting the Fishing for Energy program, which is a partnership among Covanta Energy waste-to-energy facilities, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Schnitzer Steel.  Along the Northeast coast, seven ports in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have been outfitted with 40-cubic-yard dumpsters where fishermen can dispose of their used gear free of charge.  Once the dumpsters are full, the gear is transported to a nearby recycling facility where metals are removed from crab pots and lobster traps, and nets and ropes are sheared for easier disposal.  The gear is then sent to a Covanta waste-to-energy facility where the waste is converted to electricity.  Each ton of fishing gear is able to generate enough electricity to power one home for 25 days, estimates Paul Gilman, chief sustainability officer for Covanta Energy Corp.

The Fishing for Energy program is another fine example of the ability of waste-to-energy to recover valuable energy and materials from items commonly considered "waste". 

Showing continued worldwide acceptance of waste-to-energy as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a waste-to-energy project in Ivory Coast (Africa) is the latest municipal waste project approved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).  The Abidjan Municipal Waste-to-Energy Project, which is the first CDM project located in a member state of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), will collect and treat 200,000 tons of urban waste per year using anaerobic digesters, and the resulting biogas will be used to produce electricity, while residual waste will be transformed into compost.  This project, which has received the approval of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of more than 71,000 tons of CO₂ per year.  

The Perham Enterprise Bulletin in Minnesota published a thoughtful editorial opining on the decisions facing seven Minnesota counties as they grapple with the future of solid waste management.  The counties are examining the long-term benefits of the Perham waste-to-energy plant versus landfilling.  The waste-to-energy facility in Perham converts household trash into steam and electricity--which is then sold to Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Bongards’ Creameries and Otter Tail Power.  From the perspective of Enterprise Bulletin editorial board, waste-to-energy is "as clean a solution as we have in dealing with the messy problem of garbage."  They cite support from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which favor “waste-to-energy” as a preferred method of solid waste disposal.  The paper implores the public to support waste-to-energy and "not bury our heads in the sand--or in the garbage."