Could waste fuel our cars?

Abstract

We are all familiar with the old saying of, “waste not, want not”; however, waste is an inevitable outcome of human activity. It is also clear that there is a direct link between economic development and increasing waste production. As people of the technology era, we as a society generate quite a staggering quantity of rubbish, more formally referred to as municipal solid waste (MSW). Currently, waste management is a hot topic in Ireland, with recent controversy over the proposed 600,000 tonne per annum municipal waste incinerator at Poolbeg, Dublin and also the controversial High Court ruling over waste ownership and collection in Fingal, Co. Dublin. It is fair to suggest that there is a lack of certainty and clarity with regards to implementing Ireland’s waste management strategy. In the past, waste management was not considered a priority. However, over the past 20 years, this situation has changed dramatically, and ...