What are the disadvantages of generating electricity from waste?

Effective incinerators are expensive to build, therefore, it can take years until the economic benefits start to materialize. For example, in the U.S., a trash incinerator plant costs $280 million to build, which is two to three times more expensive than building and operating a landfill. This is partly because of the price of scrubber technologies. However, without the proper employment of air pollution control devices, some harmful pollutants can be released into the atmosphere.

The key to waste-to-energy is high-quality recycling. Without a well-managed recycling system in place, waste-to-energy plants alone could discourage reducing and recycling waste. Usually, waste-to-energy plants only burn non-recyclables, putting these waste materials to the best possible use. European countries with the highest recycling rates, such as Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, are among the countries with the most waste-to-energy facilities and usage in Europe.