Incineration in waste management : Objectives, working, Pros V/S Cons

1. CY629
Incineration in waste management
Yalop Sinwar 11741170
Introduction
Waste management/disposal consists of steps/actions needed to manage the waste
from its inception to its disposal. This process includes several sub-steps such as
collection, transportation, treatment and the disposal of the waste. Along with monitoring
and regulating the waste. Incineration is also one such waste management process. It is
a waste to energy form of treatment. It is a technology involving destruction of solid
waste by controlled burning at high temperatures. The heat released during this
combustion can be converted into energy. Incineration is a high-quality treatment which
is very useful in big or crowded cities because it reduces the volume of waste to be filled
in the land.
Objectives
● Volume reduction - Incineration reduces the volume of the waste to be disposed
by an average of 90%.
● Stabilization of waste - Incinerator output is much more inert as compared to its
input, mainly because of the oxidation of the organic component of waste.
● Recovery of energy from waste - The energy which is recovered from burning
the waste is used to generate steam which can be used for electricity production.
● Sterilization of waste - Incineration of waste ensures destruction of pathogens
prior to final disposal in a landfill.
Incinerator and Types
An incinerator can be defined as any furnace used in the process of burning solid waste
for the purpose of reducing the volume of the waste. It basically reduces the weight of
waste by burning out the combustible part of waste. The incinerators in earlier decades
were unable to separate hazardous materials and bulky materials before the
combustion. This risked the health of the plant workers. Also, they were not featured
with electricity generation. Some of the commonly used incinerators are
● Rotary kiln
● Liquid injection
● Catalytic combustion
● Direct flame
● Waste-gas flare

2. Advantages
Incineration gives us an edge over the traditional method of waste management via land
filling. Incineration causes a significant reduction in the volume of waste. The reduction
in the original volume and weight is 95% and 75% respectively. The bottom ash can be
reused as secondary aggregates for parking lots, paved roads etc. Incineration does not
produce methane gas and reduces methane from landfills. Due to incineration, there is
a net reduction in toxicity as a large proportion of organic compounds including
hazardous waste is destroyed.
Disadvantages
Incineration can cause atmospheric pollution if incinerators are not well maintained.
Incinerators are very costly to construct, operate and regulate. Incineration process
produces ash and waste water from pollution control devices. If a foreign incinerator is
purchased, it costs a huge amount of money. The low income countries which lack
adequately trained labour to operate and maintain the advanced incinerator systems.
We have to note that not all waste can be burned, so landfills will still be there.
Future
The future of incineration technology is very bright. In Spite of regulatory challenges,
incinerator construction remains a large business for United State based companies.
Till date, a little research has been done to develop technology for controlling the air
pollution. Other areas needing technological attention are continuous emissions
monitoring equipment, dioxin and NOx process control and tracing the pollutants. In
future the incinerators promise to be handling the ash production and increasing the
efficiency.
_____________________________________________