Denmark Leading the Way on Garbage to Energy Conversion

Clean-tech incinerators are making their way into Danish neighborhoods. Why is the U.S. not implementing this technology? Environmental groups hate them, and land fills have been abundant.

1 minute read

April 17, 2010, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Elisabeth Rosenthal reports on the growing, cleaner technology for incineration in Denmark that now filters many of the chemicals (like dioxin) that caused health problems in early generations.

Rosenthal writes, "...such plants have become both the mainstay of garbage disposal and a crucial fuel source across Denmark, from wealthy exurbs like Horsholm to Copenhagen's downtown area. Their use has not only reduced the country's energy costs and reliance on oil and gas, but also benefited the environment, diminishing the use of landfills and cutting carbon dioxide emissions."

Environmental groups argue that turning garbage into fuel will accelerate the appetite for waste, rather than encouraging conservation and recycling.

Friday, April 16, 2010 in The New York Times

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