From Waste-to-Energy to a Circular Future: A New Opportunity for the Life Science Industry

The Role and Limits of Waste-to-Energy (WTE)

Waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities have long played a critical role in managing hard-to-recycle waste streams, including materials generated by the life sciences industry. These facilities help reduce landfill volumes by converting waste into energy and recovering metals. For instance, the Southeast Resource Recovery Facility (SERRF) in Long Beach, California processed over 380,000 tons of waste annually and recovered thousands of tons of metal each year (Long Beach Post). Similarly, the Stanislaus County, California WTE plant diverted up to 90% of local municipal solid waste from landfills (CalMatters).

However, the industry is evolving. WTE, while once seen as a necessary solution, is increasingly being viewed as a last resort for waste management. These facilities emit greenhouse gases, leave behind toxic ash, and if utilized indiscriminately as a material disposal outlet, also destroy potentially valuable resources.

High-BTU Plastics: From Fuel to Recyclable Resource

Plastics, in particular, are a prime example. With their high BTU (energy) content—e.g., HDPE contains over 18,000 BTUs per pound—they have historically been used as fuel in incinerators (EPA). But this use ignores their long-term value as recyclable materials. Incinerating plastics is effectively burning fossil fuels, only with extra carbon intensive steps. Conversely, when recovered and recycled in a circular economy system, those same plastics can reduce the need for virgin resin and the emissions associated with both extraction and incineration.

In fact, many WTE operators prefer a balanced feedstock of lower-BTU materials and are cautious about excessive plastic content. Too much plastic can upset combustion temperatures, stress emissions control systems, and lead to operational inefficiencies. Some facilities have even reported rejecting loads with high plastic content for this reason. Despite their energy potential, high-BTU plastics do not always enhance WTE efficiency—and can instead pose operational challenges. Studies confirm that excessive calorific value from high-BTU materials like plastics can destabilize combustion and increase NOx emissions (ScienceDirect). Additional research highlights that recycling these plastics is both more environmentally and economically sound, displacing more fossil fuels while generating more jobs than incineration (NEWMOA).

California’s Shift Away from Incineration

In California, the regulatory and operational landscape is changing. In 2022, the state passed AB 1857, removing recycling credits for waste sent to WTE and officially redefining incineration as disposal (CA Legislative Info). As a result, California's last two municipal waste incinerators have closed. The SERRF plant shut down in January 2024 after 36 years of service, and the Stanislaus County facility ended operations later that year (LA Times) (CalMatters). These closures are a response to both environmental concerns and the state’s broader push toward sustainable waste management strategies.

A Costly Workaround: Out-of-State Incineration

In an effort to maintain "zero waste to landfill" claims, some life science organizations have begun shipping their plastic waste out of state to be incinerated at WTE facilities. While this strategy may satisfy internal sustainability metrics on paper, it often comes at a cost—financially and environmentally. Transporting waste across state lines for incineration not only increases emissions and perpetuates a linear waste model, it costs more than recycling.

Polycarbin offers a smarter, more cost-effective alternative. Our Closed-Loop recycling platform enables organizations to keep plastics in circulation through localized recycling networks. In many cases, our services are cost-competitive—if not cheaper—than out-of-state WTE options, without compromising environmental responsibility or transparency.

The Certification Disconnect: WTE and Zero Waste to Landfill

Many life science and pharmaceutical companies pursue zero waste to landfill (ZWTL) certifications as part of their corporate sustainability strategies. These certifications are often used to communicate progress toward waste minimization goals. However, it’s important to note that not all ZWTL frameworks are aligned with global sustainability priorities.

The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), a leading authority on sustainable waste management, does not prioritize waste-to-energy as a preferred outcome. In its publication, "ISWA Key Issue Paper: Waste-to-Energy in the Circular Economy" (2020), ISWA outlines a clear waste hierarchy: prevention, reuse, recycling, followed by recovery (such as WTE), and finally disposal (ISWA Position Paper). WTE is recognized only as a transitional or last-resort option when material recovery is not feasible.

Organizations that rely heavily on WTE to meet ZWTL metrics may inadvertently shift focus away from more sustainable and regenerative pathways—particularly circular recycling models that reduce reliance on virgin materials. Polycarbin encourages companies to align their waste reduction efforts with best practices that prioritize material circularity over incineration.

Closing the Loop with Purposeful Recycling

Recycling should not be an end in itself. It must be purposeful. If recycled plastics are processed into products with little to no market demand, or are used to manufacture products that would not be purchased were they not made from recycled feedstocks, we risk subjecting these materials to carbon-intensive reprocessing without delivering meaningful environmental benefits. A good test of recycling programs is to ask the following three questions…

• What are you replacing?

• How are you replacing it?

• Is what you are replacing necessary?

Polycarbin’s model ensures that recovered plastics replace carbon intensive virgin plastic. Our process uses low carbon mechanical recycling to produce resin that goes into the production of laboratory consumables, and the virgin plastic products we replace in the market are essential for life science innovation. 

We must avoid the tendency to shunt plastics into low utility products to serve as a repository for our insatiable demand for single-use plastics. Rather, our core focus should be to keep the resource in its highest value state for as long as possible to create meaningful change. Otherwise, we are better off burning it for energy.

Building a Circular Future Through Collaboration

This shift away from WTE presents a challenge—but also a significant opportunity. Without WTE, plastics that were once incinerated now risk ending up in landfills unless alternative pathways are developed. That’s where the life sciences sector can lead by example.

Rather than treating plastics as waste or fuel, we can treat them as resources. Circular recycling platforms like Polycarbin provide an alternative to landfilling or incinerating single-use lab materials. By capturing high-BTU-value plastics and converting them into new lab products, we not only reduce demand for virgin plastic but also avoid the emissions and environmental costs associated with burning.

As WTE infrastructure contracts, there is a growing need for new partnerships between waste generators, processors, and sustainability leaders. Polycarbin is actively working with research institutions, real estate groups, and waste haulers to build regional recycling networks that keep scientific plastics in circulation.

This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating more resilient, transparent, and environmentally responsible supply chains. As the waste landscape changes, the life science industry has an opportunity to collaborate on solutions that are better for business, research, and the planet.

Let’s use this transition as a catalyst for circularity.