[cashsterling]

Burning plastic (and all kinds of other trash) for energy, if done well, IS economical/profitable and not much more 'dirty' than burning natural gas.

I think a lot of refuse to energy plants in the US have been shutdown by environmental interest groups and negative sentiment from local residents, etc.

We should first use a lot less plastic in disposable things... but if we can't do that we, should burn it along with a lot of other trash.

[carapace]

That just puts the carbon into the air, where we do not want it. It would be better to bury it than burn it.

[konschubert]

It’s a minuscule amount compared to the coal and oil that’s being burned directly.