Burning Plastic: Energy Gained, Environment Drained?

Burning plastic waste to create energy is a controversial topic. Plastic is made from hydrocarbons, just like oil, and is more energy-dense than coal. Burning plastic generates more energy than other refuse when burned, but it is also an unsustainable practice as it is made from fossil fuels. Recycling plastic waste saves more energy than burning it, but the waste-to-energy sector is likely to witness steady growth in the coming years.

Burning plastic generates more energy than other refuse

The waste-to-energy sector is likely to witness steady growth in the coming years, especially in the Asia Pacific region. China already has around 300 waste-to-energy plants operating, with several hundred more in the pipeline. However, incineration facilities require expensive power generators that cost millions to build and operate. They also require a continuous supply of waste to keep running, making them a more demanding waste management system overall. As a result, the energy produced from these facilities is the most expensive of all energy sources.

Despite the high costs, some argue that since we're throwing most of our plastics away anyway—recycling rates are stuck around 30%—we might as well burn it to recover that energy. However, incineration is unsustainable as 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, meaning burning plastics is as unsustainable as burning any other fossil fuel.

Burning plastic is unsustainable

Recycling plastic waste saves more energy than burning it, by reducing the need to extract fossil fuel and process it into new plastic. Studies have shown that recycling plastic waste saves more energy than burning it can generate.

Incineration is unsustainable because 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, meaning that burning plastics is as unsustainable as burning any other fossil fuel.

Burning plastic is expensive

The cost of building, managing and operating an incinerator is significantly high. Incineration facilities require expensive power generators that cost millions to build and operate. They require a continuous supply of waste to keep running, which means a steady collection of waste. It’s a more demanding waste management system overall and that makes the energy produced from these facilities the most expensive of all energy sources.

Large plants do generate enough electricity to supply tens of thousands of houses. However, the energy produced from burning plastic is the most expensive of all energy sources.

Burning plastic is a sensible way to create energy

The waste-to-energy sector is likely to witness steady growth in the coming years, especially in the Asia Pacific region. China already has some 300 waste-to-energy plants operating, with another several hundred in the pipeline. However, the cost of building, managing and operating an incinerator is significantly high. Incineration facilities require expensive power generators that cost millions to build and operate. They require a continuous supply of waste to keep running and that means a steady collection of waste. It’s a more demanding waste management system overall and that makes the energy produced from these facilities the most expensive of all energy sources.

Large plants do generate enough electricity to supply tens of thousands of houses. However, studies have shown that recycling plastic waste saves more energy than burning it, along with other household waste, can generate. Recycling reduces the need to extract fossil fuels and process them into new plastic.

Additionally, 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, which means burning plastics is as unsustainable as burning any other fossil fuel.

Recycling plastic saves more energy than burning it

Burning plastic waste to create energy sounds sensible: plastic is made from hydrocarbons, just like oil, and is more energy-dense than coal. However, recycling plastic waste saves more energy than burning it. This is because recycling reduces the need to extract fossil fuels and process them into new plastic.

Burning plastic is as unsustainable as burning any other fossil fuel. The cost of building, managing and operating an incinerator is also significantly high. Incineration facilities require expensive power generators that cost millions to build and operate. They require a continuous supply of waste to keep running, which means a steady collection of waste. It’s a more demanding waste management system overall and that makes the energy produced from these facilities the most expensive of all energy sources.

Despite this, the waste-to-energy sector is likely to witness steady growth in the coming years, especially in the Asia Pacific region. China already has some 300 waste-to-energy plants operating, with another several hundred in the pipeline.

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