STEM与日常科技·英语30篇（2）

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垃圾分类与焚烧发电

Modern waste-to-energy plants first sort trash to remove metals, glass, and hazardous materials that could damage equipment.
The remaining combustible waste — mostly paper, plastics, and food scraps — is dried and fed into high-temperature furnaces.
Heat from burning waste boils water, producing steam that spins turbines connected to electricity generators.
One ton of properly sorted municipal waste can generate about 500–700 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity.
Advanced filters capture over 99% of acid gases, dioxins, and fine particles before exhaust enters the atmosphere.
Ash left behind is tested for heavy metals; safe fractions are used in road construction, while toxic residues are safely landfilled.
Sorting at home reduces contamination, making combustion more efficient and lowering emissions per kilowatt generated.
In countries like Sweden and Japan, over 90% of non-recyclable waste is incinerated, supplying district heating and power.
Unlike landfills, these plants avoid methane release — a greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than CO₂ over 100 years.
Still, experts stress that reducing and reusing waste always comes before burning it — energy recovery is the last step.