The Benefits of WTE
More Electricity,
More Storytime.
Waste-to-energy helps bolster electric grid reliability in our community by providing 24/7 baseload renewable power to our local grid. Powering the lights in your home even when “one more book” becomes two or three at bedtime.
WTE delivers 24/7 baseload power generation, providing a reliable and stable energy supply
WTE is a Tier II renewable energy resource in Pennsylvania
WTE reduces reliance on traditional fuel sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas
WTE in the US generates enough energy to power 2,000,000 homes
LCSWMA's WTE facilities in Lancaster and Dauphin County generate enough energy to power thousands of homes
Recycling
Beyond The Curb
Waste-to-energy plants recover tons of ferrous and non-ferrous metals yearly for recycling. These are metals that can't be captured through traditional recycling. WTE in the U.S. recovers 700,000 tons of metal - the equivalent amount of steel to build more than seven Golden Gate Bridges (WTEA 2025).
Reduces the need for the extraction of raw material
LCSWMA’s Lancaster and Harrisburg facilities recover over 13,000 tons of metal each year
Saving 57,000 MTCO²E of GHG emissions
The equivalent of 12,176 passenger vehicles
6,453,066 Gallons of Gasoline
2,389,517 propane tanks (used in barbecues)
Today’s Wastewater,
Tomorrow’s Power.
Nothing is wasted in Lancaster County. LCSWMA's Lancaster WTE Facility utilizes wastewater from the Elizabethtown Wastewater Treatment Plant and upgrades it onsite for its boilers and process water needs, turning water into clean energy!
LCSWMA’s Lancaster WTE facility uses wastewater in a closed-loop, zero-discharge system to create renewable energy from our community’s waste
The Lancaster WTE Facility beneficially treats an average of over 200 million gallons of wastewater each year
LCSWMA’s Lancaster WTE Facility can provide up to 130,000 gallons of process water to neighboring Perdue Agribusiness
Through this intra-company partnership, Perdue can run its Bainbridge soybean processing facility without withdrawing or discharging water to the Susquehanna River! To learn more about Perdue’s process, check out this video.
Less Landfilling,
More Hikes.
Waste-to-energy reduces waste volume and thereby extends the lifespan of the existing landfill. That means less land is dedicated to waste disposal, and more land can be dedicated to natural spaces and outdoor recreation.
Reduces the volume of waste by 90%
Extends the useful life of a landfill
If the Lancaster WTE Facility had not started operating in 1991, Lancaster County’s Frey Farm Landfill would have exhausted its capacity for waste acceptance in 2001. Using WTE technology in Lancaster, LCSWMA extended the life of the original Frey Farm Landfill by 18 years!
Conserves land
WTE in the U.S. saves 255 acres of land each year (WTEA 2025)
On Average, WTE facilities require approximately 0.007 acres per ton of MSW processed. About 15-20 acres of land over their entire lifespan (Castaldi 2020)
Without waste-to-energy, Lancaster County would consume an additional 400,000 cubic yards of landfill space annually to dispose of its waste. That’s equivalent to filling 123 Olympic-sized pools each year or 18.75 football fields filled 10 ft deep!
Cleaner Air from
Clean Energy.
By keeping tons of trash out of landfills, waste-to-energy reduces tons of greenhouse gas. Communities breathe easier knowing their trash is powering homes and businesses with clean energy.
WTE reduces 2.4 tons of greenhouse gas emissions for every one ton processed versus landfilling
WTE reduces methane emissions: By diverting waste from landfills (where anaerobic decomposition generates methane), WTE helps prevent the release of methane into the atmosphere
Replaces energy that otherwise might be generated by coal, oil, or natural gas plants
Uses advanced air pollution-control systems to ensure emissions are well below regulated standards
Trash That
Powers Careers.
Waste-to-energy is building bridges to new career paths in engineering, energy, and sustainability. The waste-to-energy industry provides stable, skilled jobs with competitive pay while driving innovation and education in green technologies.
WTE is a 10 billion dollar industry (WTEA 2025)
WTE employs approximately 6,000 highly-skilled American workers (WTEA 2025)
The energy sector employed 8.5 million workers in 2024, accounting for 5.4% of all jobs in the U.S. (DOE 2025)
Renewable Energy
That Powers Communities
Waste-to-energy doesn’t just handle trash: it strengthens infrastructure, supports local jobs, and helps a town or county meet its sustainability goals by conserving land, lowering emissions, and turning everyday waste into power.
Conserves land, leaving more green space to support community needs and outdoor recreation
Supports community-based planning, local job creation in operations and infrastructure, and offers reliable waste and energy services for residents
Generates economic value in the community by processing millions of tons of waste into energy and recycled metals
Communities with waste-to-energy facilities tend to have a higher recycling rate than the national average (WTEA 2025)
Lancaster County’s 2024 recycling rate was 50% (compared to U.S. average of 32%)
Waste-to-energy is a “key greenhouse gas mitigation technology"
IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K and Reisinger, A. (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 104 pp.