Cyprus produces over 590,000 tonnes per year of household garbage. This is landfilled, where it produces greenhouse gases, nauseous odours and lets vermin proliferate.

If this were incinerated, the heat produced could be used to provide about 9% of the nations electricity consumption.

A bag with 10 kg of garbage has the same energy in it as 3 litres of fuel oil. This incineration can be done with quasi-zero pollution.

Advantages: Much reduced greenhouse gas emissions, Virtually no pollution, Recovery of precious and semi-precious metals, Landfill volume reduced to ~10 per cent, No landfill pests or emissions, Can recycle paper/plastics into energy where direct recycling is impractical, Energy available as electricity and heat, Energy efficiency typically about 50 per cent, Flexible, according to the type of available waste, Can be adapted for large cities with economy of scale, Very cost-effective.

Disadvantages: Relatively high capital cost, Requires waste to be partially pre-sorted for recycling, Less suitable for sparsely populated rural areas.

Such plant already exists in a number of countries but is urgently needed to solve illegal landfill problems and reduce oil dependence.