Incinerators - A Pain In The Ash?

A growing population also means a growing trash problem - just looking at Malaysia's stats, we reportedly generated over 38 thousand metric tonnes  of solid waste per day in 2021 (1.17 kg/capita/day). Of which, 82.5 percent is disposed of in landfills. Experts have warned that there will be no more land left in Malaysia by 2050 if nothing is done to reduce waste. Some have said the solution lies in waste incineration - burning refuse in incinerators to make electricity, which will also supposedly help to reduce carbon emissions from waste treatment in the future. But is this truly the answer? We discuss the environmental and health impacts of waste incineration with Mageswari Sangaralingam (Senior Research Officer, Consumers' Association of Penang and Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Khor Sue Yee (Co-Founder and Director, Zero Waste Malaysia) and Tasha Sabapathy (Programme Outreach and Communications Executive).

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