## EIA: More recycling of some materials means more efficient waste to energy
_By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling_
An analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that increased recovery of some recyclables has made waste-to-energy operations more efficient.
According to a [post](http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=8010), on EIA's "Today in Energy" blog, biogenic waste -- including food scraps, yard trimmings, textiles, newsprint and others -- is less efficient for generating electricity than using non-biogenic waste, such as rubber, plastics and metal.
On average, non-biogenic waste has 11.1 million British thermal units per ton, whereas non-biogenic has 23 million Btu per ton.
As consumers recycle more biogenic waste, less is being directed to produce electricity, meaning that the average energy content of waste is increasing.
"The biogenic percentage of MSW [municipal solid waste] continues to decrease, because of an increase in the consumption (and discarding) of non-biogenic materials, concurrent with the increased recovery of biogenic materials before they enter the waste stream as discards (more recycling)," reads the post.
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URL: http://resource-recycling.com/node/3179
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