The American Chemistry Council has released a series of case studies on four U.S. counties that turn municipal solid waste into energy using waste-to-energy facilities. The studies, which examined facilities in Marion County, Oregon; Olmstead County, Minnesota; Palm Beach County, Florida; and Westchester County, New York, were conducted by Government Advisory Associates, Inc. of Westport, Connecticut.

The four facilities serve a range of populations, from 141,000 at the smallest facility to 1.3 million at the largest. The smallest facility processes 60,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually, and the largest facility processes 10 times that amount. Westchester County, New York, for example, produces enough electricity to service 41,000 homes and displace the use of 243,000 barrels of oil each year. The four case studies also showed that non-recycled plastics contribute 25% to 35% of the total energy recovered from municipal solid waste in each of the counties.

Importantly, the four case studies also found that WTE and recycling are complementary – not competitive – processes. Consistent with prior studies that have found that communities with WTE typically have higher than average recycling rates, each of the four counties studied achieved recycling rates higher than the national average.

"As the United States strives to enhance energy diversity, energy recovery – including waste-to-energy – should be part of the mix," said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council. "Plastics, including non-recycled plastics, have energy content that should not be overlooked as we develop renewable and alternative sources."

Currently in the United States, there are 86 WTE facilities that process nearly 30 million tons of solid waste annually, recovering enough energy to power 2 million homes – enough to save the equivalent of 30 million barrels of oil and prevent the release of 40 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

In addition to energy, the case studies examined landfill diversion, employment, recycling levels, reductions in fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, and air emission controls. The full studies, executive summaries, and an overview are available on ACC´s website.