Incineration is a way to treat waste through controlled burning. Waste is shredded and heated to over 1025 degree Celsius in a furnace  Incineration has several benefits.

The process has mainly three by-products:

1) Pavers bricks

One tonne of incinerated waste will yield 20-30 kg of ash which can be converted into paved bricks. One tonne of waste will yield 60 kg of bricks

2) Fly ash with carbon

Fly ash with O.1% to 0.2% carbon content and weighing 2 kg will be produced by a tonne of waste. The fly ash can be used in agriculture.

3) Activated carbon

Approximately one kg of activated carbon will be produced in the plant. This can be used in sewage treatment, metal extraction, gold purification and medicine.

The incineration process doesn't use external fuel. The passage of exhaust is through a pollution control unit which releases only water vapour into the atmosphere. It reduces level of groundwater pollution in residential areas near dump yards.

But the process has its negatives too. Many of the waste items incinerated, especially plastic, contain toxins which produce carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide when burned. Such pollutants can contribute to the development of asthma, cancer and endocrine disruption.

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The government has set an ambitious target of eliminating single-use plastics by 2022.

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