Reconsidering Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Energy Feedstock

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the potential of municipal solid waste (MSW) as a renewable energy feedstock. It details various conversion technologies, their environmental impacts, the relationship between waste-to-energy and recycling, and the federal policy landscape in the United States.

• The United States generated 254.1 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2007. If this total had been diverted to electricity production, it could have replaced between 3 and 6 percent of the year's electricity use. Alternatively, diverting all landfill waste to ethanol could produce up to 21 billion gallons of renewable fuel annually.
• Several technologies exist for MSW energy conversion with varying efficiencies and landfill diversion rates. Landfill gas capture is the most widely accepted, while combustion (waste-to-energy) is more efficient but faces more public opposition. Advanced technologies like pyrolysis, gasification, and plasma arc gasification offer higher landfill diversion (up to 100%) and energy potential but remain largely at the demonstration scale due to technical and cost barriers.
• Modern waste-to-energy facilities have significantly reduced pollutants compared to older plants. EPA regulations from 1995 and 2000 reduced dioxin emissions by over 99 percent and mercury emissions by over 90 percent relative to 1990 levels. Combustion of MSW can result in a net negative carbon footprint of 3,636 lbs of CO2-eq per MWh of electricity generated.
• Waste-to-energy projects do not necessarily conflict with recycling. A study indicated that communities using waste-to-energy had average recycling rates of 33.3 percent, which is about 1 percent higher than the national average. Additionally, over 80 percent of existing waste-to-energy facilities aid recycling by recovering non-combustible metals from the waste stream.
• Federal support for waste-to-energy is lower than for other energy sources. While new facilities can receive a production tax credit of 1 cent per kWh under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, other renewables receive 2.1 cents per kWh. There is also uncertainty regarding whether MSW-derived biofuels are eligible under the national Renewable Fuel Standard.
• As of December 2008, landfill gas capture was implemented at 485 landfills, providing 12 billion kWh of electricity and 12 billion cubic feet of gas daily. In contrast, no new waste combustion facilities have been built since 1996, though 88 plants remain in operation across 25 states, providing 20 percent of all non-hydro renewable electricity in the U.S.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2009). Reconsidering Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Energy Feedstock. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_msw_issuebrief_072109.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Reconsidering Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Energy Feedstock. 2009. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_msw_issuebrief_072109.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Reconsidering Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Energy Feedstock |date=July 2009 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_msw_issuebrief_072109.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2009reconsidering, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Reconsidering Municipal Solid Waste as a Renewable Energy Feedstock}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2009}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_msw_issuebrief_072109.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }