COST/BENEFITS OF SOLID WASTE REFUSE

THE ECONOMICS OF RECOVERING ENERGY, GLASS AND METALS FROM MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE REAFFIRMS THAT THIS REFUSE IS ACTUALLY AN 'URBAN ORE'. UNTIL RECENTLY, MOST RESOURCE RECOVERY TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN UNECONOMIC. NOW HOWEVER, THE CLEAN AIR ACT HAS MADE INCINERATION MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE, AVAILABLE LAND FILL SITES IN URBAN CENTERS ARE BECOMING SCARCE, AND THE HIGH COST OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL-GAS IS PROVIDING A MARKET FOR REFUSE-DERIVED FUELS. IN GENERAL, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE COSTS OF REFUSE PREPARATION MAKE IT NECESSARY TO DISTRIBUTE THEM OVER A FULL SPECTRUM OF SECONDARY MATERIALS AND FUEL. EACH SYSTEM MUST BE DESIGNED FOR A GIVEN DISPOSAL REGION, SINCE COLLECTION REPRESENTS UP TO 90 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BILL. IN ORDER TO RECOVER REFINED METALS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NUMBER OF GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED METALS RECOVERY CENTERS IS DESIREABLE. MOST OF THE ENERGY RECOVERY PROCESSES MAKE THE MECHANICAL RETRIEVAL OF SELECTED MATERIALS POSSIBLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. TABLES. BIBLIOGRAPHY.