Is It Better To Incinerate Municipal Solid Waste or Degrade It?

Methods of processing and disposal of municipal solid waste abroad and in our country are compared. A significant technological lag by Russia in this area is noted. Known technologies of waste disposal by incineration, high-temperature decomposition, biodegradation, and landfill burial are analyzed. The physical foundations, advantages, and disadvantages of incineration and degradation are considered. The unreasonableness of choosing waste incineration on a grate as the main technology for its neutralization and elimination, adopted in Russia, is noted. The volume of not only generated but also previously formed unsorted waste (“accumulated damage”) is analyzed. It is concluded that, for our country, the priority waste disposal technology should be biodegradation using a system of drainage and disposal of waste gases and contaminated infiltration solutions.