Burning issue: are waste-to-energy plants a good idea?

Victoria's first waste-to-energy project is going ahead but these projects threaten recycling and could pose health concerns

It's the controversial scheme that's attracting attention across the nation but as more waste-to-energy facilities get the green light, critics fear the opportunity to improve Australia's recycling industry is going up in smoke.

Waste-to-energy, also called bioenergy, has been used in Europe, east Asia and the United States for decades to destroy garbage that would otherwise go to landfill. The trash is burned as feedstock at high temperatures to create fuel, gas or steam that drives a turbine and churns out electricity.