Environmental and political factors are driving up the cost of traditional solid waste disposal methods. Some cities are considering new refuse disposal technology which partially offsets disposal costs through the sale of energy and recovered materials. After reviewing municipal solid waste problems and the new disposal technology, we consider the many political and economic difficulties which local governments are likely to encounter in attempting to use new disposal methods. Finally, we describe the federal policies regulating commodity produc tion which, if unchanged, will make it more difficult for these new disposal technologies to be economically successful.
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