Waste to energy (sometimes known as energy recovery) is a proven technology that recovers the energy from waste that can’t be recycled or composted.  For households, this is the contents of your red-lidded general waste bin. The waste is treated using a controlled thermal process to reach very high temperatures (at least 850°C) to extract energy. In WA, this energy (in the form of steam) is used to generate base load electricity for the South West Interconnecting System (SWIS).

There are more than 2,000 waste to energy facilities operating safely around the world. Many are located in the centre of major cities (including London, Tokyo and Paris) or near residential areas.

When waste arrives at the facility, it is inspected to make sure it contains nothing that could damage the facility. If suitable, it is deposited in a bunker where it is mixed by a grapple to ensure a homogeneous waste supply.

The waste then enters a boiler for combustion and the resultant energy is recovered to create heat. The heat energy is converted to steam which powers a turbine and generates electricity.

Remnant ash produced during this process is then treated and metals are removed for recycling and reuse. Any emissions are also treated to remove pollutants.

For waste which cannot be recycled or composted there are only two alternatives: disposal in landfill or waste to energy.

As waste to energy treatment is specifically designed to recover energy from this non-recyclable waste, it is a better form of disposal than landfill.

Waste to energy is higher than landfill on the waste hierarchy. This is the accepted framework of most to least desirable waste processing and disposal options. It allows us to make use of waste material.

Waste to energy reduces carbon emissions in three ways:

1. It reduces landfill, which means less greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere from decomposing waste
2. It generates green energy which is exported to the power grid. This means less energy needs to be produced by fossil fuel sources such as coal or gas.
3. It extracts any remaining metals, which are reclaimed. The ash created through the combustion process can be used in construction.

Modern waste to energy facilities are very different to the old incinerators used in the early twentieth century. They use advanced monitoring, filtration and cleaning technologies to prevent air pollution.

The waste to energy facilities in WA are continuously monitored and operate within strict limits set by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). These limits match European standards, which are among the most stringent in the world. Studies in Europe, the UK and Australia show no increased health risks for people living near waste to energy facilities.

• Waste to Energy facilities are an efficient source of electricity generation. The East Rockingham Waste to Energy facility is expected to produce enough energy to power 36,000 Perth homes.
• Landfill generates large amounts of greenhouse gases, including methane, as well as soil and water pollution (known as leachate, as it leaches out of the landfill site). Waste to energy produces a much smaller level of emissions, which are controlled and managed. There is very limited generation of greenhouse gases.
• Perth’s landfills are getting full, and continuing to dispose of waste in landfill would require sending it further afield, which is costly and inefficient. Landfill sites also have very limited future uses, as the land often cannot support residential, commercial or other intensive development once waste has been buried.
• Waste to energy processes are able to extract metals to be reclaimed and recycled. These materials have value that would be lost if they were disposed of in landfill.

 

 

Unlike the waste incinerators used in the early twentieth century, waste to energy plants are specially designed to recover energy safely and efficiently. They work at very high temperatures to exacting pollution control standards set by the Environmental Protection Authority within the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).

No. Keep sorting your waste as follows:

• Place paper, cardboard, cans, glass and plastic containers into your yellow-lidded recycling bin. Ensure containers are rinsed, lids are removed, and items are placed loose in the bin (not in bags).
• Put food scraps and garden waste into your lime green-lidded FOGO bin
• Take hazardous materials (such as batteries, paint, chemicals and aerosols) to a collection point
• Take metal items (such as baking trays, utensils, nuts and bolts, etc) to a scrap metal recycling point.
• Place other waste that cannot be recycled or composted (such as contaminated food packaging, broken items, medical waste and nappies) in your red-lidded general waste bin.

You can read more about waste to energy and each of these waste streams below.

Yes! Recycling is still an important component of the waste management hierarchy.

Separating the five main recyclable materials (paper, cardboard, cans, glass and plastic containers) for recycling through your yellow-lidded bin gives them a second life and reduces the demand for virgin materials. (For more recycling information check out the Recycle Right website.)

Recycling and energy recovery play different roles in managing waste. Recycling retains the value of materials by turning them into new products, reducing the need to extract and process virgin resources. By comparison, Waste to Energy recovers the energy contained in waste that cannot be reused or recycled. This is why recycling remains a higher priority in the waste hierarchy than energy recovery.

It is also important to separate out organic materials (such as food and garden waste) from the general waste sent for energy recovery. Organic waste is processed into mulch and compost to improve our sandy soils, both in agricultural land and for households, local government, and civil works.

Turning household food organics and garden organics (FOGO) into compost is environmentally preferable to using it to recover energy.

Waste to energy is only intended to be used for residual materials which can’t be recycled or composted. The State Waste Strategy 2030 includes a target for all Perth and Peel Councils to adopt a three bin FOGO collection system and also to recover energy only from residual waste (your red-lidded bin). WMRC only sends residual waste to waste to energy.

It is more important than ever! Hazardous materials are not accepted by Waste to Energy facilities. Such materials should never go into your general waste (or any) bin.

Here’s what you can take to the West Metro Recycling Centre for responsible processing or disposal. Find details of other collection points here.

The WMRC operates the West Metro Recycling Centre in Shenton Park, open to the public 7 days a week. Most of our comprehensive range of recycling services are free to residents. We do charge for some waste types.  You can find out more here.

After combustion, the volume of waste is reduced by about 75%, leaving an inert ash known as incinerator bottom ash aggregate (IBAA).

East Rockingham Waste to Energy has a state-of-the-art facility to recover metals from the IBAA and produce a clean, recycled aggregate material. The facility has a planned partnership with Curtin University to research the best IBAA reuse opportunities for local Perth markets.

The ash from combustion at the facility is not toxic.

There may be a small amount of toxic material generated, which is captured in the flue gas treatment process. This is carefully disposed of at an appropriate facility.

No. Our contract with East Rockingham Waste to Energy is on a ‘waste arising’ basis, with no minimum commitment.

This leaves us free to continue supporting the community to minimise the waste that ends up in general waste bins. It also presents no barrier to rolling out and expanding the FOGO waste collection service with our councils. This is aligned with the State Waste Strategy 2030.

Your council sets rates each year based on the costs it anticipates across the range of services it delivers.

The costs of responsibly managing waste collection, haulage and processing is one of many council services. Processing residual waste through waste to energy has a similar cost to landfill and a preferable environmental outcome. Please contact your council with queries on their budgeting and rate-setting process.

Visit these sites for more information on waste to energy:

• East Rockingham Waste to Energy
• Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association Australia (WMRR) Energy from Waste FAQ

The WMRC runs and attends events to educate the community about waste and waste reduction. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for local, up-to-date waste information or sign up to our newsletter. For specific queries you can call us on the Recycling Hotline at 9384 6711, or email community@wmrc.wa.gov.au.