Waste Incineration

Term Paper # 99897

Environmental Studies > Economics and Policy
Environmental Studies > Recycling

Waste Incineration

This paper examines the sustainability of incineration as a form of waste management.

1,430 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

The writer defines sustainability, particularly as it applies to waste management. The paper then examines incineration and its sustainability by examining the environmental, economic and social factors involved andby comparing it to landfills and the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. The paper shows how, from the perspective of sustainability, the 3Rs are the best waste management option. The paper concludes that incineration can be a more sustainable solution for waste management if it were considered as a last resort, after the 3Rs, rather than as the optimal solution.

From the Paper:

"The topic that I have chosen for this paper is the issue of waste management and in particular waste incineration. There are several reasons why this topic is of importance and why it is of interest to me. First of all it is a very 'hot' topic as we saw recently in the last two months as Toronto was trying to 'solve' its waste problem. In 2000, for example, Canadians generated 1021 kg of non-hazardous waste per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002). 747kg of this waste were disposed of per capita (Statistics Canada, 2002), while the rest was recycled. It is also a problem that in increasing literally and figuratively. In Canada for example "non-hazardous waste disposal per capita was 7 per cent higher in 2000 than in 1996" (Mclaren, 373). It is also a global issue - we all produce waste and need a way to deal with it. Finally it is a question of sustainability."

Sample of Sources Used:

Statistics Canada, 2000. Waste management Industry Survey: Business and Government Sectors, 2000. Ottawa: Statistics Canada
Harper, C.L. 2001. Environment and Society: Human perspectives on environmental issues.2nd edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001
Raven, P.H., Berg, L.H. and Johnson, G.B. 1998. Environment. New York: Sounders College Publishing.
Tangri, N. Waste Incineration: A dying Technology. 2000, http://www.no-burn.org/resources/summary/English.pdf#search='waste%20incineration%3A%20a%20dying%20technology' Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (accessed October 18. 2006)
Collins, K. (2003). 'European Waste Management Drivers Towards a Sustainable Europe and How Scotland Can Influence the Agenda." Sustainable Waste Management. Eds. R.K. Dhir, M.D.Newlands & T.D. Dyer, 25-44. London: Thomas Telford,