Landfill Mining and Energy Recovery Planned in Taiwan

28 March 2011 The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) in Taiwan has said that the nation is to excavate old landfills for material and energy recovery, and add bio-energy capacity to its incineration facilities, according to a report in the China Post. There are a total of 404 landfills in Taiwan. The EPA says that it plans to excavate the sites and sort through the buried waste for renewable energy sources. The EPA claims that this can improve the adverse effects landfills have on the environment. However, the agency also warned that the excavation may result in atmospheric dust, strong odours and noise, but stressed that it will implement stringent pollution control measures and environmental monitoring to reduce the impact of the excavation on surrounding residents. The EPA says that it plans to sort through the buried waste and recycle glass, metal and flammables, as well as reuse rocks and pebbles for paving roads. Taiwan has 26 large-scale waste incinerators, however the EPA is proposing to make more efficient use of the biomass found in the waste currently being burned. The EPA claims that if incinerators are transformed into bio-energy centres, the increased electrical output will result in higher electricity sales, while at the same time being much more environmentally friendly. According to the China Post, the Taipei City Department of Environmental Protection has voiced concern over the scale of the project needed to transform the incinerators. The city is currently promoting cutting down on waste disposal, and the department said the EPA policy would encounter budget and technical problems.