[TeMPOraL]

That doesn't feel right. Looking at the typical household production, I see (after separating out metals) mostly plastics, wood, paper, and various oils. This should all burn nicely and have high caloric value.

Agreed on the toxic combustion products, though.

[shash]

Not enough to make up the difference. Definitely not as much as coal or fossil fuel for example. Sure, they’ll burn, but not hot enough. Most domestic waste has a calorific value of not more than 16 MJ/Kg, and you need at least 15 MJ/Kg for ignition. Meaning, you need to add some other fuel to make it burn. Coal for comparison gives off 15-30 MJ/Kg, so it’s right on the edge there. Industrial waste is a different ball game, but then industrial waste has lots more toxic stuff.

Source: http://www.igniss.com/calorific-value-waste