Landfills have long been the end of the road for waste. Today, they're becoming the starting point for transformation. What if instead of disposal, we saw energy, materials and opportunity. Today we're exploring how waste to energy is reshaping the global circular economy.
Landfills have long been the end of the road for waste. Today, they're becoming the starting point for transformation. What if instead of disposal, we saw energy, materials and opportunity. Today we're exploring how waste to energy is reshaping the global circular economy. Hosts Phil Dillard and Angie Dickson, President of Inogen Alliance, are joined by Sofiane Kessouar, Senior EHS Consultant for Baden Consulting in Switzerland and Meiling Xu, Senior EHS Consultant, from Anew Global Consulting in China.
“ It keeps surprising me that people from other region of the world often still seem to consider landfills an acceptable method of waste treatment, and that waste to energy seems somewhat utopian to them. These plants don't just burn waste. They produce electricity and heat, often supplying homes or industry.” - Sofiane
In China, landfill sectors is in the rapid transition, hundreds of old sites, , being closed or mined for the west. As of 2023, the number of municipal waste landfill sites across the country has decreased from 640 in 2015 to 366. The closed sites are now transforming into equal parks, industrial parks, or other land usage after soil remediation and the land redevelopment.” - Meiling
01:14 – Switzerland’s Waste-to-Energy Success
02:08 – China’s Rapid Waste Transition
05:02 – Misconceptions About Landfills & Incineration
08:27 – What Zero Waste Looks Like in Practice
12:06 – Waste-to-Energy in Europe’s Sustainability Strategy
14:54 – Innovation Spotlight: New Technologies in China
18:42 – Industrial vs. Household Sorting Challenges
23:26 – Aligning Global Corporate Waste Strategies
Rethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety, and sustainability services, working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit inogenalliance.com to learn more.