What is Refuse Derived Fuel?

Solid Waste is fast-growing and has innumerable hazards for the environment. Instead of throwing it into a landfill, it can be put to good use via the method of Refuse Derived Fuel- RDF for short. As the name suggests, RDF is a fuel produced from refuse such as industrial waste, municipal solid waste (MSW), or commercial waste. The waste collected is shredded, dried, baled, and then burned in a huge cement kiln to produce electricity.

RDF can be further specified into- Tyre Derived Fuels (TDF), Solid Recovered Fuels (SRF), and Alternative Fuels (RDF). RDF consists mainly of combustible waste, including non-recyclable plastics (except PVC), paper, cardboard, labels, and other corrugated materials. 

We found that some countries that replace coal by refuse-derived fuel reduce CO2 emission by 40%, and decrease the amount municipal solid waste being sent to landfill by more than 50%. The production cost of energy via refuse-derived fuel gasification is estimated at 0.05 USD/kWh.