An intending buyer of an incinerator needs to ask and get answers for the above question.

First of all, the buyer should know that he is buying the incinerator because:

-        he has a problem which can be resolved by the incinerator

-        he does not want to end up with another problem on account of the incinerator

-        he should be really concerned with the environmental pollution that can be caused by the bye-product of production, i.e. waste, in liquid, solid, semi solid and gaseous forms.

We should, in fact, place the last point first. The reason for this is that in India we still do not give enough importance to cleanliness in spite of the `Swach Bharat` campaign. There should be a compulsory lesson for children in schools on this subject, so that they become aware of the need for cleanliness from a young age.

Having decided to opt for an incinerator, the buyer needs to know the positives and negatives.

Advantages:

•                 It is more environment friendly than other disposal methods

•                 Waste can be disposed of as it is accumulated

•                 Enables work place to be kept safe and tidy

•                 Eliminates costly transportation of waste to disposal sites

•                 Destroys sources of contamination and infection

•                 Reduces amount of waste

•                 Residual ash is less than 10% of waste

•                 Technologies available now meet stringent emission standards including meeting extremely low particulate emission

•                 Can be made self-sustaining with RTOs and Waste to Energy plants

•                 Can work in fully `auto` mode with least manual intervention

•                 Running costs can be kept low by choosing the right model for the right waste

Disadvantages:

•                 Incinerators do not generate direct revenue, though waste management actually enhances productivity

•                 Poorly designed incinerators can create other problems of pollution through smoke, greenhouse gases and particulate emission

•                 People shun using the incinerator due to improper understanding of the technology

•                 It may have high running costs if not sized and optimised

•                 If untrained operators operate the system, they can spoil the system

•                 Scrubber bleed difficult to dispose of in systems not equipped to handle the same, creating another issue

•                 Operators do not like to run the incinerator manually

Some of the points under `disadvantages` are already answered under `advantages`.  Nevertheless, it is good to point out that in general:

-        people should change their mindset that waste and environment are not their concern (it is a serious concern and will result in a cleaner environment, healthy people and higher longevity)

-        operators are lowest rung employees with lack of skill and they are not trained properly and regularly. Hence selecting skilled operators and periodic training are a must

-        system can be chosen where there will no water discharge

-        incinerators can generate revenue depending on the quantum and type of waste

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There are many countries in the world like USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, China, Sweden, Switzerland, to name a few, who run incinerators with the latest technology, generating electric power, keeping the environment and places clean.

Let us look at things positively in other parts of the world too!

There are incinerators and thermal oxidisers in Haat`s range of products, which can be either self-sustaining or operate at no cost or low cost.  We wish to bring out this feature particularly because many buyers are under the impression that incinerators guzzle fuel and hence very expensive to own and operate.

Frequently asked questions on incineration can be seen here – FAQs on incinerators