Waste to Energy: Considerations for Informed Decision-making - Summary for Policymakers

Thermal Waste-to-Energy (WtE), also known as incineration with energy recovery, is a major waste treatment method in some developed countries and the most widely adopted technology that dominates the global WtE market. The European Union, however, which has relied on waste incineration for the past few decades, is now moving away from thermal WtE and other forms of incineration and is focusing on more ecologically acceptable solutions such as waste prevention, reuse and recycling as it shifts towards a circular economy.