Humans generate trash everywhere they live, work, go...Some of it recyclable, while much of it not so profitable to recycle, and some with almost no recyclable value.
Animals and humans generate some other waste, too, though that's mostly from physiological activities :-)
What cannot be efficiently or profitably recycled is either sent to landfills, or - in some nations like Sweden - incinerated to generate energy. But burning waste poses its own set of ecological challenges. My vision is a future where what cannot be recycled is instead processed to liberate its energy content, without resorting to incineration or high carbon emissions.
Einstein's equation for mass energy equivalence predicts that, theoretically, an enormous amount of energy can be liberated from matter. "For a specific amount of mass (in kg), if you multiply it by the speed of light squared (3.00×108)2, you get its energy equivalence (Joules). " https://www.universetoday.com/114617/a-fun-way-of-understanding-emc2/ Even an atom bomb is less than 0.03% efficient at liberating its energy. Imagine a future where one day of my trash can power my home for weeks!
Partly sorted at source by humans, and partly sorted by machines and robots, the trash is separated by ease of energy liberation, and then used for energy generation accordingly. What's recyclable gets recycled. Thus, we really approach a zero-waste world. Surplus energy is saleable.
I would appreciate feedback from the Sponsor, especially if it is only the visuals that are holding this idea back.
