Waste-to-energy conversion technologies not only ex-tend the life of landfill but also provide an alternative energy resource by utilizing unused waste products. Locally available agriculture/forest waste in combination with other easily available waste materials such as paper, wood chips, oil waste etc. can be used to produce value added pellets or briquettes.
The process adopted and type of equipment to be used for conversion depends on raw material used, its properties, and volume to be processed and end applications.
In order to reduce the load on landfills, some waste materials dumped into landfills can be converted into value added products. To make the entire process economical and commercially viable, proper selection of material, processing technique and equipment should be adopted so as to produce the end product with good calorific value, less emissions and residue after combustion.
To reduce greenhouse gases as well as to overcome the shortage of space for dumping grounds, scientific waste disposal and production of value added products for industrial applications should be encouraged. This will not only enhance the employment opportunity in rural areas but also will be a good source of supplementary income to farmers. The ash produced in local industrial units can be used as manure in agriculture fields. Such activity will also save the fossil fuels required for transportation of these waste materials to dump sites.
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