In the movie Back to the Future Doc Brown debuted a trash-to-fuel converter called “Mr. Fusion” that turned ordinary household waste into power for the epic DeLorean time machine. While we are not quite there yet, there is a frontier of 2nd-use trash solutions that promise a better way to handle massive amounts of waste in cities such as Las Vegas, which has engaged in advanced waste diversion techniques, including waste-to-energy programs. Las Vegas faces unique challenges in trash management due to its rapid growth and gluttonous tourism economy. This PBS video is a hopeful look at some of the techniques being developed by trash industries facing that challenge.
