Trash Into Power

Sweden has always been ahead of its neighbors when it comes to

reducing its environmental impact. To make power, the country

does something unique: it turns trash into power on a national

scale using high-power incinerators. At first glance, it solves two

problems: getting rid of trash before it piles up and generating

electricity without burning dirty fossil fuels. But now Sweden is

hitting a wall. According to the country's Environmental Protection

Agency, it needs more trash to feet Sweden's energy habit, and it's

begun importing trash—just over 881,000 tons—from nearby Norway

to do it. It's an innovative idea that seems to work for everyone.

Sweden powers most of its homes and business with a waste product,

and gets paid to do so. Norway gets rid of trash it doesn't have space

to bury more cheaply than exporting trash elsewhere (it gets the ashes

back after incineration, but those take up much less space). And no

one has to dig or drill for energy.