DSM Pocket Guidebook Volume 5: Renewable and Related ... - NREL

RENEWABL E B RIE F 3
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
• INTRODUCTION
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that U.S.
municipal solid waste (MSW) totaled 196 million tons (177 billion kg)
in 1990 and will grow over the next decade of the rote of 1.5% per
year. At present, 67% of oil MSW is londfilled, and -17% is combusted
in 145 municipal waste combustors.
MSW facilities ore typically operated by municipalities, waste management
districts, or private companies. 8ectric utility use of MSW is not
widespread, although o few utilities ore using it, including one in
Minnesota that operates two plants that process MSW into o refusederived
fuel (RDF). This RDF serves os the fuel source for two of the
power plants in the 30-MW range .
• TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION
The five major technologies common used for MSW management ore
• Collection/separation of recyclable materials
• Londfilling
• - Moss burn for energy recovery
• Production and combustion for RDF
• Composting.
Many communities use more than one technology to manage MSW. A
solid waste management strategy should look ot volume reduction first,
and then reusing, recycling, and the composting of MSW. Although
energy is notthe primary goal of any MSW monogementstrotegy, moss
burn and combustion of RDF offer the added benefit of energy
recovery. These technologies, and the cofiring of RDF and cool, ore the
focus of this brief •
• DEFINITIONS AND TERMS
MASS BURN FACILITY A facility in which the pretreatment of the
MSW includes only inspection and simple separation to remove
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