Orange County Voice Research Center

Welcome to OCV's research center. This section contains the reference material that supports our educational programs.

New pages! Our Waste to Energy discussion begins with Plasma Gasification.

Waste to Energy Research

OCV is committed to research on waste to energy as an alternative to landfills and land application of sewage sludge. This research is integral to OCV’s mission to build awareness about our rural communities where landfills and sludge fields are typically sited.

Despite efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle, and the highest recycling rates in the North Carolina, Orange County produces 200 tons of municipal solid waste (or MSW which is a term for household trash) each day. This is in addition to hazardous wastes, tires and other disposables that are shipped out of county. Neighboring Durham county produces roughly 800 tons of MSW per day.

In addition to trash, sewage sludge from Orange, Alamance and other counties are hauled to Orange County and sprayed on 3000 acres of rural land (adjacent to resident wells, intermittent streams, wetlands, and watersheds). Medical waste is shipped out of county and burned in one of the two largest medical incinerators in the US which operate in North Carolina.

More about waste streams and energy producing alternatives, beginning with plasma gasification