What does syngas mean? Syngas is the name for a synthetic gas, which is produced via the gasification of biomass. The word biomass refers to a wide range of solids that can be burnt to produce energy, such as waste feedstock and garbage. Syngas is typically made up of hydrogen, carbon monoxide as well as carbon dioxide and methane in small amounts.
Continue reading »

With the increasing threat of global warming, more and more nations and organizations are researching into and implementing alternative energy sources to replace more traditional energy sources. Apart from the threat of global warming, there is now an urgent emphasis to develop alternative energy because traditional energy is dependent of non-renewable sources such as oil, coal, uranium (nuclear) etc which are fast depleting and are plagued with frequent price surges.
Continue Reading »

Millions of tons of solid municipal waste are created in many country across the world every day. This waste is then dumped onto landfills and left to decompose. This waste causes a lot of environmental as well as health problems. The problem deepens further when the landfills are overfilled and there is no more space for any kind of waste. By producing electricity from solid municipal waste this problem can be solved, and it provides an alternative way to produce electricity.
Continue Reading »

Municipal waste is one of the great problems of the modern age. Put simply, there is just way too much of it! It doesn’t help that so many of the materials we use nowadays biodegrade over a very long period of time. Landfills have been the answer to the municipal waste problem for decades now, as they are inexpensive and relatively simple to set up. Landfills, however, have a hugely negative impact on the environment. Harmful metals and chemical pollutants leach into the ground, and even get into the groundwater. In addition, landfills are a huge emitter of greenhouse gases, in particular methane. Anyone who works on a landfill will tell you that current consumption rates are unsustainable.
Continue Reading »

Waste to energy technology provides a way to turn municipal solid waste into a source of energy to generate electricity. So, not only does it offer a solution to get rid of massive amounts of garbage we accumulate, but it can actually turn this garbage into something that can benefit the population immensely. Various waste to energy technologies exist today. There are chemical processes such as transesterification, used to produce biodiesel. There are also biochemical processes such as anaerobic digestion, resulting in chemical feedstocks, and fermentation, resulting in ethanol. Next, there are thermal processes such as pyrolysis, gasification, and incineration. All of these are processes of environmentally friendly waste disposal, since they produce no greenhouse gas or carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming, and are known to be harmful for the environment.
Continue Reading »

Municipal solid waste generation can have various disadvantages if the right municipal solid waste management methods are not in place. Landfills are the most common of these and have been used for many years, but this municipal solid waste management method is not very effective. The waste in landfills can take decades or even centuries to completely break down, and while doing so, it can release toxic gases that are major contributors to environmental pollution. Landfills also tend to take up a lot of space, with millions of tons of waste generated every year by the U.S. alone.
Continue Reading »

Waste to energy plants use the technology of waste gasification to manage solid waste and obtain energy form it. There are various types of technologies used by waste to energy plants, but the technology of waste gasification is probably the most effective and efficient. Waste gasification plants have already demonstrated solid results. Municipal waste is considered to be a source of energy that is renewable because garbage will continue to be created on a regular basis. That is why this waste to energy technology is a very attractive one.
Continue Reading »

Municipal waste to renewable energy programs present a great way to turn discarded trash into a renewable source of energy, which can provide our homes with heat and electricity and be beneficial for the environment at the same time. When our waste is turned to energy, there is less space required in our landfills, which are already overfilled. Waste to renewable energy programs reduce the demand for harmful fossil fuels, because the energy received from these programs can be used instead. There are various municipal waste to energy programs currently running in the U.S., with the state of Kentucky alone generating enough energy from such programs to provide hundreds of thousands of homes with electricity every year.
Continue Reading »

There are various types of waste to energy technologies, including pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, esterification, fermentation, and anaerobic digestion. Some of these waste to energy technologies use chemical or biochemical processing and others use thermal processing. Municipal waste to energy technology can meet households energy needs, while waste-created biofuels can power automobiles.
Continue Reading »

The great pacific garbage patch actually consists of two large areas – the eastern and the western patches. The eastern patch is between California and Hawaii and it is over twice the size of Texas alone. The western patch is located between Hawaii and Japan. These Pacific Ocean garbage patches collect currents that carry debris and waste from all over the globe. When the currents reach the great pacific garbage patch, they deposit the garbage they have accumulated. Because neither fishers nor tourists ever visit the area due to the lack of marine life, most people are not even aware of the existence of the pacific ocean garbage patches.

Some people have called it “the plastic island”, and according to them, it poses an enormous threat to the environment of the whole planet. However, others claim that it actually has great potential for alternative energy generation. There are waste to energy programs, which may turn the great pacific garbage patch into electricity and heat for homes and offices. Waste to energy power plants convert solid waste (even plastics) into energy. These waste to energy programs create a win-win situation in the case of the pacific ocean garbage patches. The trash would be taken out of the ocean, leaving the marine life and the birds unaffected by toxins, and energy can be generated by non-polluting methods.
Continue Reading »