Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
is a modern Energy-from-waste facility an incinerator?
Yes, there are different types of incinerators, such as mass burn incinerators, pyrolysis incinerators, gasification incinerators, and plasma arc incinerators, each with its own thermal process. All of these are incineration processes, regardless of the technology’s branding. Companies and stakeholders try to rebrand modern incinerators as “energy recovery”, “advanced waste treatment,” or “resource recovery” as a form of greenwashing.
ARE ENERGY-FROM-WASTE incinerators safe?
No, studies from overseas have shown contamination in the soil, water, food and human population. Planning applications for new facilities, all over the world, have been denied and existing plants decommissioned as countries transition away from the technology. They have been banned in in areas such as Scotland, Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and in New South Wales (except in four regional areas where the NSW Government is using a ‘precautionary principle’ of not locating incinerators near high density residential areas).
The Australian Public Health Association (APHA) published a world first, full systemic review, of health impacts related to waste incineration technologies. They found a range of adverse health effects linked to waste incinerators, including significant associations with neoplasia, congenital anomalies, infant deaths and miscarriage.
The APHA review concluded that new incinerators should be located away from areas of food production and that food grown near an incinerator should be avoided. In France, the Netherlands and Slovakia testing of eggs from backyard chickens located near waste incinerators has found such high levels of toxic dioxins, furans and PCBs (types of persistent organic pollutants or ‘forever chemicals’) that they are unsafe to eat.
ARE ENERGY-FROM-Waste incinerators a sustainable, renewable form of energy production?
No, Energy-from-Waste incinerators are not sustainable. They compete with recycling programs for valuable resources, burn plastics derived from fossil fuels, and are less efficient than a coal-fired power plant for the emissions they create.
Are Waste-from-Energy incinerators part of a cirular economy?
No, Energy-from-Waste incinerators use a linear 'take, make, dispose' economic model. They undermine efforts to keep materials in the economy for as long as possible. Energy-from-Waste incinerators rely on the extraction of virgin materials and rewards consumptive and wasteful lifestyle choices. Countries overseas are phasing out Energy-from-Waste facilities as they will not generate enough waste to keep them operational throughout their operation life as they reach waste reduction and recycling targets.
Do Energy-from-Waste incinerators test for ALL dangerous pollutants in real time anD does NSW meet world's best practice?
- No, they do not test for all dangerous pollutants in real time.
- NSW EPA requirements are less strict than world’s best practice in:
- Averaging periods for emissions limits
- Accounting for OTNOC (Other Than Normal Operating Conditions) events
- Mercury monitoring methods
- Dioxin and furan emission limits
- Dioxin and furan monitoring methods and frequencies
- Monitoring for brominated dioxins and furans