incineration
Quick Summary
Incineration is a waste management method that involves burning refuse in a furnace under controlled conditions. This process significantly reduces the volume and weight of waste, typically by over 90 percent, leaving behind an inert residue called bottom ash. The combustible materials in the waste combine with oxygen, releasing heat, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. Modern incinerators are equipped with advanced air pollution control devices, such as fabric filters and scrubbers, to remove fly ash and gaseous contaminants before the exhaust is released into the atmosphere.12
Some incinerators, known as waste-to-energy plants, are designed to recover heat energy from combustion. This heat can be used to generate steam or hot water, which can then be used for heating or to produce electricity through cogeneration. These facilities can operate using either a mass burn system, which burns all refuse without prior treatment, or a refuse-derived fuel system, which separates combustible materials from non-combustibles before burning.3
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