Title: Is burning trash a good way to dispose of it? Waste incineration in charts | PBS NewsHour
Headings: Is burning trash a good way to dispose of it? Waste incineration in charts
Is burning trash a good way to dispose of it? Waste incineration in charts
Environmental justice flashpoints
Aging facilities
Construction years for MSW incinerators
What incinerators burn
Materials in U.S. municipal solid waste
Waste management trends
Materials in U.S. municipal solid waste recycled and composted (percentage of each type)
Heavy polluters
Emission rates for “Dirtiest Dozen” municipal solid waste incinerators (pounds per ton of trash burned, 2014)

Content: EPA
Heavy polluters
Incinerators release many air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, particulate matter, lead, mercury, dioxins and furans. These substances are known to have serious public health effects, from increased cancer risk to respiratory illness, cardiac disease and reproductive, developmental and neurological problems. According to recent figures from the waste industry, incinerator plants emit more sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide per unit of electricity generated than power plants burning natural gas. Research on direct health impacts of waste incineration in the United States is limited, but a handful of studies from Asia and Europe, where waste incinerators are prevalent, offer some insights. For example, a 2013 study in Italy analyzed the occurrence of miscarriages in women aged 15-49 years residing near seven incinerators in northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, and found that increased particulate emissions from the incinerators was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. A single incinerator may burn anywhere from a few hundred tons to several thousand tons of waste per day. Smaller incinerators typically have lower absolute emissions but can emit more hazardous pollutants for each ton of waste they burn. Plant emissions also can vary widely based on the heterogeneous composition of municipal waste, the age and type of emissions control equipment, and how well the plant is operated and maintained over time. Emission rates for “Dirtiest Dozen” municipal solid waste incinerators (pounds per ton of trash burned, 2014)
For each pollutant, at least 8 of the 12 incinerators with the highest emission rates nationwide were located in environmental justice communities
Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND;