The good always comes with bad. While burning trash for energy is very beneficial to the human race it still manages to do some harm to the environment. 

              

DISADVANTAGES:

EXPENSIVE: Creating the waste to energy plants are very expensive. Setting up new recycling units involves high cost. This huge cost can come up as a part of acquiring different utility vehicles, upgrading the processing facility, educating residents by organizing seminars and other programs, disposing of existing waste and chemicals. The trash has to be pre-sorted as well to make sure only certain trash materials are being burned for energy which means there will have to be more workers. 

HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT: All of the inorganics contained in the waste come out as ash, which contains char and tars. The amount of inorganics can be as much as 25% by weight which means that landfills will continue to be required to dispose of the ash. The ash has very little use except as a road base because even though it is considered non-hazardous it still has an environmental impact and very few people will use it. Dioxins are produced in the treatment and is a cancer forming chemical.

REQUIRES MORE LAND: Combustion of biomass products require some land where they can easily be burnt. Since, it produces gases like methane in atmosphere; therefore it can be produced in those areas which are quite far from residential homes.

Understanding the impact of recycling is essential on a large-scale. If waste to energy is done effectively it can bring in massive positive results, I think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. These are all things that have to be carefully considered and weighed when determining if waste to energy is a good alternative energy source.

PhotoCredit: http://protectearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/saveenergy.jpg