An estimated 90 percent of Canadians prefer EFW over landfill for nonrecyclable plastics.
The Canadian energy-from-waste (EFW) market has shown robust potential over the past eight years, growing by 200 percent, from just four operating plants in 2006 to twelve facilities in an advanced stage of approval or construction by summer 2014, according to the Canadian Resource Recovery Council (CRRC), Toronto.
Moreover, the trend toward EFW technologies is a national phenomenon, with a range of plants and equipment under consideration from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver Island. The trend continues independent of size, with investigations underway in communities as diverse as Port Hope, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia.
This progressive approach to waste management and local energy generation makes Canada a world leader. Of course, there are not as many installations as Europe (300-plus) or the US (80-plus), but the growth curve is notably more dynamic.
Recent public opinion polling bears this out. Undertaken by Nielsen in spring 2014, the poll included 1,044 respondents from across the country, with a +/- 3 percent margin of error 19 times out of 20.
The poll shows that two-thirds of Canadians hold a favorable opinion of EFW technologies. Across the EFW technologies, gasification received most positive support at 60 percent, followed by feedstock recycling and solid recovery fuel. Even mass-burn combustion achieved 50 percent support.
Moreover, EFW as an energy source merits a higher overall impression than other power sources. EFW was seen in a favorable light by 69 percent of Canadians, while natural gas trailed at 59 percent, with oil at 37 percent, nuclear at 34 percent, and coal at just 19 percent. Only solar (90 percent) and wind (75 percent) ranked higher.
When it comes to feedstock, an overwhelming 90 percent of Canadians prefer that nonrecyclable plastics go to an EFW facility rather than landfill. This support holds steady across both geography, ranging from a “low” of 85 percent in Quebec, rising to 87 percent in British Columbia, 88 percent in Alberta, 90 percent in Ontario, 92 percent in Atlantic Canada, and 94 percent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Treating nonrecyclable plastics in an EFW plant has solid support in all age groups, ranging from a “low” of 86 percent among the 65-plus set to 94 percent among those aged 55-64. Eighty-nine percent of young people (ages 18-34) see EFW as a preferred option.
Additionally, there is solid support for EFW from both sexes. Women are more likely than men to say they would prefer nonrecyclable plastics go to an EFW facility, with 86 percent support among men and 92 percent among women.
Canadians also understand that these strong opinions come with consequences. Sixty-three percent of respondents indicated they would support the use of EFW in their immediate community, which shows considerable commitment to the technology.
