ABSTRACT
The level of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has been increasing with increasing population and urbanization. Consequently, environmental concerns related to it have increased. MSW has been utilized as a valuable renewable energy sources due to advancements in technology and awareness. In this chapter, the global trend of MSW generation, its characterization, handling and management practices, and thermal and nonthermal conversions of MSW to energy have been presented. Further, the advantages of an integrated waste management approach “reduce, reuse, and recycle” and its proper practice has been discussed. The chapter also discusses environmental issues during landfilling and thermal conversion.
Environmental issues during MSW handling, processing, transportation, disposal, and treatment can also be reduced by adapting proper technology and mitigation measures. Waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies are primarily aimed at recovering energy from waste and increasing the benefits, however, these technologies also involve environmental concerns to a certain extent. Control devices play a crucial role in controlling pollutants generated in WtE facilities and reduce the associated hazards to human beings and ecosystems. In addition, several best practice measures and control strategies have been presented that can be adopted to mitigate the release of pollutants during its thermal conversion to energy.
