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Comment by ars | Hacker News Reader

There are no fumes in a modern incinerator.

Is that why people are against it? They think there are fumes?

I honestly was not aware you can burn plastic with minimum air pollution. Where I live, many people warm their homes in winter by burning plastic junk they find on the street. I don't have to explain what sort of air it produces. Being in it feels like washing your face with sulfuric acid.

After living under these conditions for many years, it'll be hard to let go of stereotypes.

As with all things, just because it' possible to do it safely doesn't mean it will (chernobyl anyone?). I have a recycling plant near my house and about once a weak it smells horrible. That's just because it's strong enough to reach me on those days, living about a mile away. Those that live near it smell it every day. IT's been reported numerous times, but as always you're limited to what you can do as a mere civilian (in practical terms, not theoretical terms).

Also as the other comment stated, much of it will no doubt be shipped to burn plants that aren't upgraded with the latest and greatest tech. Even then you also have to worry about proper maintenance of the systems. Sure, you can create regulation to cover all these angles, but I highly doubt that will happen.

They mostly think that incinerators need to be modernized first, and old ones should be forbidden to use. This is costly, and the whole "desupply" chain is not transparent: people do not know whether their local incinerators is recent or not. I do not know, even if I try to find info.

Authorities are not incentivized to be transparent about it, and waste management companies neither.

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