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Waste-to-Energy Trivia Quiz

The amount of municipal waste produced every day is still growing. Containing among others plastics and biomass, it is a source of energy. This is a quiz on turning waste to energy.

A multiple-choice quiz by Laujan. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
Laujan

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
279,768

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
2107

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In most countries around the world, municipal solid waste is put into landfills. In some countries, among others the Netherlands, Germany and recently the United Kingdom, land filling is prohibited or discouraged. Why? Hint

All these reasons play a role

Landfills needs a lot of ground area

A landfill is a waste of energy

To stimulate re-use of materials

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Question 2 of 10

2. In the Netherlands in the seventies, the "ladder of Lansink" was developed. This is a list of ways to treat waste in order of preference. Which of the following orders is the order of the ladder of Lansink, keeping in mind that it starts with the most preferable waste handling method. Hint

combustion, prevention of waste production, recycling, landfill

prevention of waste production, recycling, combustion, landfill

prevention of waste production, combustion, recycling, landfill

recycling, prevention of waste production, combustion, landfill

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Question 3 of 10

3. What is the most common way of generating energy from municipal solid waste? Hint

Gasification

Anaerobe digestion

Incineration

Composting

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Question 4 of 10

4. Now, let's focus on the incineration of waste. If you look into an industrial waste incinerator in operation, what do you see? Hint

A blue fire, due to the high temperatures

A cosy yellow fire, like in a fireplace

Only degrading waste, the flames are colourless

You cannot look into an incinerator, it is far too dangerous

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Question 5 of 10

5. Is the energy generated with the incineration of municipal solid waste considered renewable energy? Hint

Yes, since no fossil fuels are used.

Yes, the waste needs to be handled anyway, the energy is free benefit.

No, plastics are combusted, which are after all fossil fuels.

Around half of the energy produced is considered renewable, since around half of the waste is organic matter.

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Question 6 of 10

6. Some environmental organisations have remarks on the environmental friendliness of waste-to-energy plants. What is considered a problem? Hint

The flue gases from waste incinerators smell like rotten eggs.

No new landfill sites are made, this is a loss for the landscape.

During waste incineration, harmful substances are released.

Waste incineration is just another form of fossil fuel combustion.

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Question 7 of 10

7. What substance is typically formed during the incineration of waste, along with compounds like CO2, SOx, NOx and HCL? Hint

Methane

Dioxins

Noble gasses

Radioactive matter

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Question 8 of 10

8. What is an important difference between electricity producing waste-to-energy plants and power plants? Hint

Liquid ashes are formed in waste-to-energy plants.

Even if no electricity can be supplied to the public grid, the plant stays in operation.

The electricity production of a waste-to-energy unit is much higher.

Waste-to-energy plants have batch operation, instead of continuous operation.

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Question 9 of 10

9. The efficiency of a waste-to-energy plant is 20 - 30 %. Efficiency = produced useful energy divided by energy in fuel. What methods are used to increase the efficiency of waste-to-energy plants? Hint

Supplying heat for district heating.

Non of these methods increase the efficiency.

Using a water cooled condenser instead of an air cooled condenser.

All of these methods increase the efficiency.

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Question 10 of 10

10. The incineration of waste produces flue gases and ashes. The flue gases are cleaned and exhausted to the atmosphere. What is done with the ashes and flue gas cleaning residues? Hint

All ashes and residues are used in livestock feed.

All ashes and residues are put in landfill.

A large part of the ashes and residues is used in construction works.

A large part of the ashes and residues is pulverized and used as sand on the beach.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: All these reasons play a role

The prohibition of landfills is maintained by placing a fine on landfills that is higher than the cost of handling the waste in different ways.

Answer: prevention of waste production, recycling, combustion, landfill

In the 2002 - 2012 National Waste Control Plan of the Netherlands; the Ladder has been refined to the following:
- quantitative prevention: prevention of production of waste
- qualitative prevention: during production materials are used that have the least negative environmental impact when the product becomes waste
- recycling of products
- recycling of materials
- combustion with energy generation
- combustion without energy generation
- landfill

3. What is the most common way of generating energy from municipal solid waste?

Answer: Incineration

Anaerobe digestion is done with wet organic waste, like manure. Bacteria produce biogas (ca. 70% methane) from the organic matter in an environment without oxygen.

During composting of waste, bacteria digest the organic matter in an environment with oxygen and produce mainly CO2. This method does not generate energy.

4. Now, let's focus on the incineration of waste. If you look into an industrial waste incinerator in operation, what do you see?

Answer: A cosy yellow fire, like in a fireplace

Not only is there a looking glass in the incinerator, there are cameras as well, so the operators in the control room can keep an eye on the fire.

5. Is the energy generated with the incineration of municipal solid waste considered renewable energy?

Answer: Around half of the energy produced is considered renewable, since around half of the waste is organic matter.

In the Netherlands municipal solid waste is stated to have 47% organic matter. Therefore, for 47% of the electricity produced from the waste, a waste incinerator company can receive a subsidy for renewable energy production.

6. Some environmental organisations have remarks on the environmental friendliness of waste-to-energy plants. What is considered a problem?

Answer: During waste incineration, harmful substances are released.

The flue gas cleaning equipment takes up around two thirds of the volume of the plant, all in order to make sure that the flue gases are clean, before they are released to the environment.

7. What substance is typically formed during the incineration of waste, along with compounds like CO2, SOx, NOx and HCL?

Answer: Dioxins

Dioxins can be highly toxic. President Yushchenko of the Ukraine was poisoned with dioxins in 2004.

8. What is an important difference between electricity producing waste-to-energy plants and power plants?

Answer: Even if no electricity can be supplied to the public grid, the plant stays in operation.

Waste-to-energy plants receive a handling fee for the waste. In the Netherlands in normal operation 75% - 80% of the turnover is from the waste handling fee and only 20% - 25% from the sale of electricity. So, even if no electricity can be sold, turnover is made by incinerating the waste. In such cases, a small part of the energy produced by the incineration is still used to generate electricity for own consumption, the rest of the energy is cooled away to the air.

In coal or gas fired power plants, one has to pay for the fuel, so if no electricity can be sold, there is no use to keep the plant in operation.

Answer: All of these methods increase the efficiency.

Using a water cooled condenser, instead of an air cooled condenser to condense the exhaust steam from the steam turbine can improve the overall efficiency with almost 2%. This is due to the fact that the yearly average temperature of surface water is lower than of the ambient air.

Therefore a steam turbine with a water cooled condenser can reach a lower exhaust pressure and temperature and in this way produce more electricity.

10. The incineration of waste produces flue gases and ashes. The flue gases are cleaned and exhausted to the atmosphere. What is done with the ashes and flue gas cleaning residues?

Answer: A large part of the ashes and residues is used in construction works.

The part of the ashes and residues that has to be land filled is approximately 1 - 2 mass-percent. It often has hazardous compounds, which is the reason it can't be used for ground elevation in construction works. Sometimes it needs extra handling before landfill.

Source: Author Laujan

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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