Environmental Stewardship

Wheelabrator is committed to protecting public health and the environment. This commitment is reflected in the services we provide to our customers, the design and operation of our facilities, the conditions under which employees work, and our interactions with the communities where we live and do business. We are responsible stewards of the environment and protect the health and well being of our employees and neighbors.

What is Waste-to-Energy?

Using proven mass-burn technology to produce energy by feeding municipal solid waste into large power boilers, Wheelabrator's waste-to-energy facilities are dedicated solely to burning trash. The resulting energy produces steam and electricity. The waste-to-energy process was first adapted for the United States marketplace through Wheelabrator’s innovative technologic breakthroughs. At full capacity, a waste-to-energy plant consuming 1500 tons per day of trash has a generating capacity of more than 40,000 kilowatts of clean, renewable electrical energy for sale to the local electric utility company. This is the equivalent of supplying all of the electrical needs of 40,000 homes.

Waste-to-Energy and Environmental Regulation

All our plants meet all federal, state and local environmental standards. To ensure compliance, Wheelabrator’s management, along with state and federal environmental agencies, constantly monitor each facility by conducting comprehensive air, water and ash testing programs. Wheelabrator has been demonstrating the safety and efficiency of its plants for more than 25 years.

Waste-to-Energy and Recycling

Communities across the U.S. have turned to source reduction, recycling and waste-to-energy to manage their municipal solid waste. Over the past 30 years, the percentage of trash recycled has grown from 10 percent to a national average of more than 30 percent. At the local level, communities with waste-to-energy plants have an average recycling rate of more than 33 percent, 10 percent higher than the national average. In addition, waste-to-energy facilities annually recycle more than 700,000 tons of ferrous metals and another 450,000 tons of glass, metals, paper, plastics, yard waste, etc.

Waste-to-Energy and Climate Change

The innovative technologies used in waste-to-energy facilities help create a sustainable energy system, significantly reduce dependence on foreign oil supplies and ensure a safer environment for the future.  Many scientists believe emissions of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse gases” are leading to unusually high warming of the atmosphere or “global warming.” The U.S. Department of Energy has labeled waste-to-energy technology as a major part of a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. 

Key Achievements/Milestones

Wheelabrator is leading the change in producing clean, renewable energy from waste fuels. As a pioneer, Wheelabrator opened the first commercially successful waste-to-energy facility in the U.S. in 1975 and has accomplished many industry leading milestones and achievements.