Review of Mechanical and Biological Treatment (which rather ignores incineration issues of the residual waste)

Waste Management World
"MBT in Europe: There’s life in the old dog yet"

Link to 'Waste Management World'

"For decades, mechanical-biological waste treatment (MBT) has competed with incineration in the more industrialized countries of the world. Although incineration has generally been favoured by the politicians, uptake of MBT in these developed countries nevertheless continues. For example, in the UK at present, more MBT than conventional thermal treatment capacity is being installed.

"In Britain, responsibility for waste disposal is vested primarily at county level. Local authorities decide which residual waste treatment method shall be adopted, and they are also in charge of accomplishing the mandatory targets of the EU Landfill Directive - in this, Britain drastically differs from the other 24 EU Member States, where national legislation is paramount. As a result, in Britain, the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS), similar to the concept of ‘carbon trading’, has been implemented. The outcomes are awaited with great interest on the continent. 

"A dozen high-grade MBT systems are under construction and in the pipeline in England, most of them using aerobic decomposition technology."