A Western Massachusetts company is drawing interest in a waste management technology it says reduces trash to a fraction of its initial volume in an environmentally friendly manner, potentially offering a path to reducing the state’s landfills as they inch closer to capacity.
The company, Local Power LLC, says the system involves heating waste to temperatures above 2,000 degrees, breaking down its compounds in the process. It produces hydrogen that could be used for local energy needs and sequesters toxins without releasing them into the environment, providing a cleaner method of processing trash than traditional incineration practices.
Waste management representatives for towns in the Berkshires who attended a Thursday night presentation from Local Power said they were intrigued by the proposal but wanted to learn more.
