Can WTE ash and/or vitrified glass be used for anything useful?
WTE ash and/or vitrified glass has been reused in construction since the early 70’s. Common applications are sub-base material, structural fill, and aggregate in asphalt or concrete. However, in the past, contaminant concentrations of fly ash exceeded the allowable threshold values. Ash reuse is therefore restricted to proven processes. Because there are no nationwide standards in the U.S. less than 5% of the WTE ash is beneficially used (compared to bottom ash reuse of ~70% in Germany and ~90% in the Netherlands). The government of Bermuda uses the entire WTE ash in concrete products for artificial reefs or shore abatements. The Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council is therefore taking an innovative approach towards our understanding and beneficial use of ash. An interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research group will carry out a comprehensive project on reuse applications such as engineered aggregate, cement blocks, asphalt, remediation of brown-fields and abandoned m
