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The Expansion of Plants Created Overcapacity, Forced Operation Below Ideal, and Led Companies to Seek Residues Where There Was Once Surplus
China invested heavily in incinerating waste to generate electricity and relieve pressure on crowded landfills. The strategy advanced quickly and became one of the largest infrastructures on the planet for this type of energy.
Now, the scenario has changed. With over 1,000 plants, part of the system has begun to face lack of waste to keep the furnaces running at a steady pace, and some operations are even resorting to old landfills.
What Happened and Why It Caught Attention
The incineration plants in the country operate below 80 % in many cases, even with a huge structure already installed. The volume of waste does not keep up with the size of the industrial park.
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The daily capacity reached 1.1 million tons. This level exceeded targets set in recent years and made clear a mismatch between oven availability and urban waste availability.
The result is evident on the factory floor. There are idle lines, short operating periods, and a fixed cost that weighs heavily when the furnace has nothing to burn.
Why There Is Less Urban Waste Available
Waste generation has decreased due to a combination of economic slowdown, population decline, and improvements in domestic management. Less consumption tends to generate less disposal.
In 2022, the capacity of the plants was 333 million tons per year, while the collection of domestic waste was 311 million tons. Even so, capacity continued to grow after that.
This situation leaves the system vulnerable. When waste inflow decreases, the plants lose volume to dilute costs, and the finances become difficult to manage.
How Plants Are Trying to Feed the Furnaces
Some facilities have started paying to obtain waste, something unthinkable at the height of the disposal crises. Others are trying to supplement the load with industrial waste and construction debris.
There have also been cases of excavating old landfills to seek material that can still be burned. This is a way to avoid shutting down equipment, as completely stopping can lead to increased losses.
In Anhui and Hebei, operators admit to working well below nominal capacity. In certain cases, one in every three lines remains closed all year due to lack of waste, not due to technical failure.
Overcapacity Becomes an Economic Risk
The problem has shifted from technology to structure. When there are more furnaces than waste, competition for material increases, and profitability declines.
Lines that operate only a few months a year indicate a model under pressure. The parallel expansion, without considering the downward trend in urban waste, increases the risk of underutilized assets.
The industry faces a direct dilemma: keeping furnaces running requires a constant flow of waste, but the available volume no longer guarantees this supply.
Points of Attention Regarding Health, Emissions, and Generated Waste
Emissions have been reduced with improvements in filtering, gas control, and environmental standards. Even so, incineration continues to produce materials that require careful treatment.
In 2024, the plants produced 13 million tons of fly ash and 63 million tons of leachate. Only 15 % of the ash was reused, mainly in construction materials.
The rest remains as complex waste, expensive to treat and with limited disposal options. The environmental debate remains alive, especially when the management of these by-products fails.
Mandatory Separation Reduces Waste That Reaches the Furnaces
Mandatory waste separation has advanced since 2017 in several cities. Where the rule has been strictly enforced, the waste profile has changed, and part of it no longer goes to incineration as before.
In Shenzhen, with 18 million inhabitants, no domestic waste is sent to landfills. Management occurs with valuation and advanced separation systems.
Five facilities cover a daily capacity of 20,000 tons, adjusted to current volume. For the environment, less waste is a gain, even if it complicates the financial operation of the plants.
China built a huge incineration network, but the country has started generating less waste than it can burn, creating overcapacity and forcing adaptations.
The practical consequence is already appearing in the routine of the plants, with operations below 80 %, searching for new types of waste, and even excavating landfills to keep the furnaces running.
They can get garbage from Australia if they want. We already have more “human garbage” here than government knows what to do with.
Pq pq não trazer essa tecnologia para o Brasil e até outros países preservando um bem maior que seria o planeta? Ser humano se julga inteligente, mas na verdade não é.
Pq é um desastre ao meio ambiente e só vai piorar a questão do Aquecimento Global ao invés de melhorar pois estimula o consumismo e o desperdício. Entendeu? Abraços, Lufe Bittencourt, geógrafo.
Compra lixo do Brasil aqui tem muito em Brasília…