What’s Wrong With Incineration?

The burning of solid and regulated medical waste generated by health care creates many problems. Incineration produces both toxic air emissions and toxic ash residue.1 The air emissions affect the local environment and may effect  ommunities hundreds or thousands of miles away. The ash residue is sent to landfills for disposal, where the pollutants have the potential to leach into groundwater. Waste treated by other methods and then landfilled will also produce leachate.