With the increase in consumerism and an infinite supply of wide ranged products, there has been a considerable rise in the quantities of solid waste produced. This increase in the quantum and diversity of waste generated by human activity calls for an urgent need to adopt scientific methods for their safe disposal. On the other hand, while solid waste disposal remains one of the major problems being faced by our country, its uses as a valuable energy resource cannot be overlooked. It can be used to generate enormous power and fulfill the ever rising demand of electrical energy proving to be a great alternative in place of fossil fuels.
Apart from minimizing the waste generation and further reusing and recycling them, generating energy from waste prove to be a boon in present times. Such methods will lead not only to large scale production of energy but also a considerable overall reduction in quantities of waste that requires final disposal, resulting in a better and controlled process, thereby giving a relief to the local authorities and governments who have increasing concerns of landfills and environmental issues.
We are majorly dependent on the finite resources, i.e our fossil fuels- coal, natural gas, petroleum as the primary sources of energy. These non-renewable sources of energy once exhausted will leave us with no way to survive. Hence it is the need of the hour to find out alternatives we can rely on once we run out of the non-renewable ones. Domestic waste resources that can be used for energy production are diverse. Using these resources will reduce our dependence on the traditional fossil fuels considerably. Installation and operation of renewable energy systems can prove to be beneficial in saving energy and decreasing the amount of waste released in the environment leading to reduction in landfills and hazardous gas emissions.
Waste-to-energy plants can be used for environmentally safe waste management and disposal, and generation of clean electric power. Clean and renewable energy can be produced through thermochemical, biochemical and physicochemical methods. Waste-to-energy conversion is even known to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which are significantly reduced by preventing methane emissions from landfills. Moreover, such plants are highly efficient in coming up with innovative ways of harnessing untapped sources of energy from a wide range of waste products disposed of by homes and industries.
We need to be highly concerned and sensitive towards the cleanliness of our environment to treat biodegradable waste as this is highly crucial for the sustainability of ecosystems and for meeting the ever-increasing demand of energy.
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