From Trash To Treasure

An American Chemistry Council executive says mounting evidence shows the promise of energy recovery is too great to ignore. Even during a highly charged election season, one thing we can all agree on is the need for new sources of domestic energy. My organization represents manufacturers of plastics, a family of raw materials used in cars, electronics, construction, medical devices and countless consumer goods and packages. Like those of you involved in developing energy from waste, we are extremely aware that energy-rich wastes, whether discarded from homes, businesses, construction or manufacturing, are all too often–and often unnecessarily–destined for landfills. At the same time, we are encouraged by the growing list of forward-thinking communities in places like Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Texas that are tapping into this abundant resource by finding innovative ways to recover energy from waste. And in these communities, this locally sourced energy is helping to power homes, businesses, and transportation—all of which contribute to economic growth. So how much potential energy from waste is out there? When it comes to efficient waste diversion, we all know that recycling comes first—but not all wastes can be economically recycled. That’s where energy recovery comes in. A recent study conducted by the Earth Engineering Center at Columbia University found that if all of our nation’s non-recycled waste was converted into energy, it would generate enough energy to power more than 16 million homes annually, possibly more, depending on the technology. Converting waste into energy isn’t a new idea—it’s being done now, although on a smaller than ideal scale. What has captured our attention is that researchers and entrepreneurs are close to commercializing a number of newer technologies that can supplement traditional conversion, delivering a range of energy outputs, from synthetic crude oil, to solid fuels, gases and chemical raw materials. Let’s take a closer look at one of these. More