The Waste Incineration Process

Every incinerator is unique, but the most common technique is called “mass burn.” The general process followed in a mass burn incinerator includes five steps.

Waste preparation: Oversized items are removed and certain recyclables like metals are recovered. The remaining waste is often shredded before it enters the incinerator.

Combustion: Waste is burned in an oxygenated single combustion chamber. Materials are burned at extremely high temperatures of 1,800-2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. At those temperatures, waste should be completely combusted, leaving nothing but gases and ash.
Energy recovery: The gases released during combustion are cooled with water, generating steam through heat recovery. The steam is used to power electrical generators.

Environmental control: The cooled gas is treated by scrubbers, precipitators, and filters to remove pollutants. The solids that form during treatment, called residuals, are disposed of in a landfill.

Environmental release: The treated gas is released into the atmosphere. There should be no visible smoke from the smokestack because the remaining gases should be free from particulates.

Because incineration utilizes such high temperatures, it can destroy many pathogens and some toxic materials. For this reason, incineration is the preferred method of disposal for biomedical and some other special wastes, even in communities where MSW is landfilled.