How Waste Sorting Powers Cities Through Incineration

垃圾分类与焚烧发电

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Modern waste-to-energy plants first sort trash to remove metals, glass, and hazardous materials that could damage equipment.

现代垃圾发电厂首先对垃圾进行分拣，去除可能损坏设备的金属、玻璃和有害物质。
The remaining combustible waste — mostly paper, plastics, and food scraps — is dried and fed into high-temperature furnaces.

剩余可燃垃圾（主要是纸张、塑料和厨余）经干燥后送入高温炉中焚烧。
Heat from burning waste boils water, producing steam that spins turbines connected to electricity generators.

垃圾燃烧产生的热量将水加热成蒸汽，驱动汽轮机发电。
One ton of properly sorted municipal waste can generate about 500–700 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity.

一吨经过妥善分拣的城市垃圾可产生约500–700千瓦时的清洁电能。
Advanced filters capture over 99% of acid gases, dioxins, and fine particles before exhaust enters the atmosphere.

先进过滤系统可在废气排入大气前捕获99%以上的酸性气体、二噁英和细微颗粒物。
Ash left behind is tested for heavy metals; safe fractions are used in road construction, while toxic residues are safely landfilled.

焚烧后的灰渣需检测重金属；达标的部分用于道路建设，有毒残渣则安全填埋。
Sorting at home reduces contamination, making combustion more efficient and lowering emissions per kilowatt generated.

家庭源头分类可降低杂质含量，提升燃烧效率，减少单位发电量的排放。
In countries like Sweden and Japan, over 90% of non-recyclable waste is incinerated, supplying district heating and power.

在瑞典、日本等国，超90%不可回收垃圾被焚烧，为区域供热和供电。
Unlike landfills, these plants avoid methane release — a greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than CO₂ over 100 years.

与填埋不同，这类电厂避免了甲烷释放——甲烷在100年尺度上的温室效应是二氧化碳的25倍。
Still, experts stress that reducing and reusing waste always comes before burning it — energy recovery is the last step.

但专家强调，减量和重复利用始终优先于焚烧，能源回收只是最后一步。