material handlers testing hazardous waste for use in fuel blending

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Turning Hazardous Waste into an Alternative Fuel

Posted: 7/11/22

Category: Blogs

Service Type(s): #Fuel Blending

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Global Energy Independence Day was on Sunday, July 10th, and serves as a reminder of both our dependence on fossil fuels and the solution that can be found in alternative fuels. When we think about alternative fuel sources, we often consider wind, solar, geothermal, or other renewable resources.  Hazardous waste doesn’t always come to mind, but it’s an important piece of industrial waste management that shouldn’t be overlooked. While waste-to-energy facilities are common in the residential waste industry, fuel blending is a unique process in the industrial waste sector that creates a viable alternative energy source.

What is fuel blending? It’s a process where hazardous materials, such as liquid/solidified paints, chemicals, etc., that otherwise may go to landfill or incineration, are blended into a fuel source that can be used by cement kilns. Once the waste has been processed into a fuel that meets the specifications required for a cement kiln, it can be used as alternative to traditional, non-renewable fuels like coal and natural gas. This can reduce waste disposal costs for a facility and help facilitate a company’s sustainability initiatives. This is one of the primary ways Heritage manages hazardous waste for our customers – in 2021 we diverted nearly 47,000 tons of waste from being landfilled/incinerated and instead turned it into a viable alternative fuel source via fuel blending.

If you’re interested in exploring fuel blending as an option for your facility, get in touch with one of our sales representatives here.

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