WASTE-TO-ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS
Keywords:
Waste-to-Energy, Municipal Solid Waste, Anaerobic Digestion, Incineration, Gasification, Pyrolysis, Biogas, Renewable Energy, Waste Management, Circular Economy, Energy Recovery, Sustainable Development.Abstract
Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies have emerged as an important component of modern waste management and sustainable energy systems because they enable waste materials to be converted into useful forms of energy while reducing dependence on conventional disposal methods. Rapid urbanization, population growth, industrial development, and changing consumption patterns have increased the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW), creating significant environmental and public-health challenges. At the same time, many waste streams contain substantial amounts of organic matter and combustible materials that can be recovered as electricity, heat, biogas, syngas, bio-oil, and other useful products. Recent research identifies several major WtE pathways, including incineration, anaerobic digestion, gasification, pyrolysis, landfill-gas recovery, hydrothermal processes, and refuse-derived fuel systems.) This research examines the major WtE technologies and their applications from technical, environmental, economic, and sustainability perspectives. The study uses a systematic review approach based on recent scholarly literature published mainly between 2023 and 2026. Particular attention is given to technology selection, energy recovery, emissions, resource recovery, waste characteristics, circular-economy principles, and applications in municipal, agricultural, industrial, and food-waste management. The literature indicates that no single technology is universally appropriate because the performance of WtE systems depends on waste composition, moisture content, calorific value, source separation, infrastructure, financial conditions, and environmental regulations. Anaerobic digestion is particularly relevant for wet and organic-rich waste, whereas thermal technologies can be more suitable for combustible fractions and prepared refuse-derived fuel. Recent studies also emphasize integrated systems that combine material recycling, biological treatment, thermal conversion, energy recovery, and residue utilization
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