Burning waste to generate energy is a common practice in European countries. In the U.S, with its vast amounts of land space, the process is not very familiar as most waste—if it’s not recycled—goes into landfills. However, landfills are at odds with the protection of the environment and Americans are warming up to the burning trash option. Seven Idaho counties have approved a plan to burn garbage and methane gas from at least one regional landfill. This story explains how Sweden is generating electricity with garbage. The country even imports trash and sends only 1 percent of its waste to landfills.
U.S. is exploring burning trash to generate electricity
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