Benefits of Hazardous Waste Combustion

As a means of treating and disposing of hazardous waste, combustion offers some benefits when performed properly. The following are some of the benefits:

• Destruction of the toxic organic compounds in the waste
• Reduction in the volume of waste
• Energy recovery from the waste (for example, burning waste for heating buildings)
• Material recovery from waste (for example, recovering metals for reuse or sale)
• Usage of waste as an ingredient (for example, as in ingredient in an industrial process to make a product)

Combustion destroys the toxic compounds in waste by breaking the chemical bonds of the toxic compounds and reverting them to their original elements, which are often not toxic. The volume of hazardous waste is reduced, because combustion converts a large quantity of solids or liquids to a small amount of ash. The combustion process generates heat which can be used, or "recovered," for example, to heat buildings. Some wastes yield economically viable materials, such as precious metals, when burned in the combustion process. Some types of waste can be combusted to recover ingredients used to manufacture other products.

To learn more about RCRA visit our RCRA Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.