Guideline on Waste Minimisation for atolls and small islands: choosing the right policy for your situation

Abstract

Disposal by incineration instead has some major disadvantages. The air pollution risks are usually not as high (as they are on continents), thanks to the large expanses of surrounding ocean. Yet the high costs and challenging technological safety demands of incineration tend to make it an inappropriate disposal solution. Improvements in gasification systems and energy recovery could alter this balance over the next few decades. However, the prospect of turning the mountains of plastic residues into an energy source are likely to remain a fantasy in the foreseeable future.