Dive Brief:
- A waste incinerator in West Palm Beach, FL is the first incinerator in about 20 years to go online in the U.S.
- A larger waste-to-energy plant is under construction in Baltimore, MD. The cost to construct the facility is estimated at $1 billion.
- Experts suggest that trends favoring incineration is a response to Americans' inability to curb waste production. Americans creates an average of 4.4 pounds of trash per day per person.
Dive Insight:
Supporters contend that because recycling rates have hovered at around 34% for a 10-year period, incineration is less expensive and easier than recycling.
Thomas Kinnaman, who studies the economics of solid waste and recycling at Bucknell University, says that the public perception of recycling has shifted. Kinnaman said that people aren’t as interested in recycling as it’s not “as fashionable” as it once was, and that's why states are ditching recycling for less expensive options.
If the public’s thoughts about incinerators continue to change, building more waste-to-energy plants around the country may also catch on as a trend.
