Energy from plastics going to waste in landfills

Study:

Oct. 19 -- A study by Columbia University scientists found that plastic waste in landfills can power 5.2 million U.S. homes.

The study, titled "Energy and Economic Value of Non-Recycled Plastics (NRP) and Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) That Are Currently Landfilled in the Fifty States," reports that 6.5% of the used plastics generated in the U.S. are recycled while 7.7% are "combusted with energy recovery."

Meanwhile, 85.8% of used plastics end up in a landfill.

About 28.8 million tons of NRP was landfilled in 2008, which is equivalent to 36.7 million tons of coal or 139 million barrels of oil, the study reported.

If all of the NRP landfilled each year was used as fuel in "specially designed power plants," the electricity generated could power 5.2 million homes and cut U.S. coal use by nearly 34 million tons, the study said.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Vince Bond Jr. at vbond@crain.com or 313-446-1653.

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