Intense heat from burning is used to create steam, which in turn may be used to generate electricity. Solid waste managers hope that a continuing rise in the cost of electricity will help pay off the cost of energy recovery plant construction. Given the enormous volumes of solid waste produced in urban areas, some solid waste managers have come to see energy recovery facilities as necessary components of solid waste management systems, along with landfills and recycling. Critics of energy recovery plants, however, raise objections. Some of these are the high cost of construction, the air pollution caused by refuse burning, and the ash which contains heavy metals and must be disposed of in landfills.
Critics also point out that energy recovery plants require a steady flow of garbage.
Maintaining that flow, critics say, will discourage recycling and will allow people to avoid their individual responsibility to generate less waste. This objection can be answered by taking recycling into account when sizing the incinerator. Discuss the pros and cons of each, and list on the following table. Remember that each community is unique and needs its own waste management plan. There are no master blueprints for waste disposal.