Refuse derived fuel (RDF) is produced from domestic and business waste, which includes biodegradable material as well as plastics.
- Non-combustible materials such as glass and metals are removed, and the residual material is then shredded.
- This fuel is produced from combustible components that the industry calls Municipal Solid Waste – MSW for short.
- This waste, usually taken from industrial or commercial sites, is shred, dried, baled and then finally burned to produce electricity.
- Refuse Derived Fuel is a renewable energy source that ensures waste simply isn’t thrown into a landfill and instead, put to good use. Various ‘combustible components’ can be processed for RDF.
- Such components include non-recyclable plastics, paper cardboard, labels and generally ‘corrugative’ materials.
- The variety of materials able to be processed and turned into Refuse Derived Fuel means that this practice poses huge environmental benefits, as less and less fossil fuels will be required in coal fired power plants, lime plants or cement plants.
- Within MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) management, processing of several fractions that are combustible in nature but are not recyclable such as soiled paper, soiled cloth, contaminated plastics, multilayer, packaging materials, other packaging materials, pieces of leather, rubber, tyre, polystyrene (thermocol), wood etc. has remained a challenge and these fractions unwantedly ends up at landfill sites.
- These fractions can be processed and converted to refuse derived fuel (RDF), which carries significant calorific value, and can be utilised as alternative fuel in various industries in line with the principle of waste to wealth.
Not allowed
- As per the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) guidelines, the following waste should NOT be used for co-processing: (i) Biomedical waste (ii) Asbestos containing waste. (iii) Electronic scrap. (iv) Entire batteries. (v) Explosives. (vi) Corrosives. (vii) Mineral acid wastes. (viii) Radioactive Wastes. (ix) Unsorted municipal garbage.
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