EEC Director Professor Marco J. Castaldi participates in webinar panel which asks important questions about waste and sustainability

The non-profit organization, be Waste Wise (bWW) recently featured a panel of scientific experts on waste and sustainability to discuss pressing issues on decarbonization. Energy from waste was the topic around which important questions were explored, including:
What is the role of energy recovery in solid waste management systems?
What are the impacts of geographies on its implementation?
Can we see a long-term future for energy recovery which aligns with net-zero goals?

Professor Marco J. Castaldi was joined by three other panelists to discuss these questions, among others. The video recording of the webinar can be found here, as well as on the bWW website.

Waste-to-Energy in Baltimore: A Divisive Solution

A recent article1 explored the ongoing debate surrounding the Baltimore WIN Waste waste-to-energy (WtE) facility, revealing a city divided on how best to manage its waste. As part of its “Less Waste, Better Baltimore” Master Plan report from July 20202 , the city has set ambitious goals to improve solid waste and recycling. One of the most relevant targets to the WIN Waste WtE facility is diversion of 80% of residential food and organic waste away from landfills and incineration.

Public opinion on the WIN Waste facility is anything but uniform. The article featured perspectives from various stakeholders, including environmental advocate Mr. Dipnarine, who supports the facility, and members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the South Baltimore Land Trust, who oppose it. This division mirrors broader community sentiment, as reflected in Baltimore’s Task 1 Survey Report. With over 2,000 responses, the survey found that 41% of residents supported a pay-as-you-throw trash system, while an equal percentage opposed it.

The article also touched on the importance of benchmarking waste management strategies. Internationally, Sweden and Denmark are often cited as models for waste-to-energy success, but Baltimore has opted to compare itself to domestic cities like Austin, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, and Portland. Which of these cities provides the best roadmap for Baltimore remains an open question.

From a regulatory standpoint, Baltimore’s facility meets or exceeds federal, state, and city emission standards. However, public trust and perceptions of fairness in waste management policies will likely play a significant role in shaping the future of waste-to-energy in the region.

The city’s approach—benchmarking against comparable U.S. cities and adhering to strict emissions regulations—suggests a methodical path forward. But for any waste policy to be successful in practice, it must be based on sound assumptions. Professor Marco J. Castaldi from EEC casts doubts on the ambitious reductions and diversions targets, and he acknowledges that recycling doesn’t always go as planned. Whether Baltimore can navigate these challenges effectively remains to be seen, and hopefully, local journalists will continue to shed light on this important issue.

  1. https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/climate-environment/christopher-dipnarine-baltimore-incinerator-CKMQ5ZUAZZAKRHZX5YGN2VRIXU/ ↩︎
  2. https://publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/lesswaste ↩︎

WtERT Becomes a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-Accredited Organization

WtERT® has received accreditation from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This milestone further strengthens our commitment to advancing sustainable WtE solutions globally. WtERT-USA, officially recognized as EEC|CCNY, celebrates this important milestone in the global push for sustainable waste management solutions. We look forward to continuing our efforts in advancing the global adoption of waste-to-energy solutions and working alongside international partners to achieve a more sustainable future.

Please red the full statement bellow:

2024 WtERT Biannual Conference: 2-4 October 2024

Check out this year’s WtERT Conference in New York City!

All conference registration, programs and logistical information and updates will be posted here!

The Conference is hosted and organized by:

in collaboration with:

For more information, contact: wtert2024@ccnyeec.org.


WtERT is an international university-industry organization whose mission is to advance sustainable waste management worldwide. Professor Marco J. Castaldi, Director of the Earth Engineering Center at CCNY is the head of WtERT-U.S.A. 

Learn more about the WtERT conference:

The previous program from the 2022 conference can be found here.

Papers from that meeting are available here via our collaborator, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Publication of a Technical Report on MSW statistics

We are pleased to announce the publication of a scientific article, the outcome of a collaboration between the Earth Engineering Center, Department of Chemical Engineering at The City College of New York, USA (Demetra Tsiamis & Marco J. Castaldi), and the Dipartimento Di Energetica at Politecnico Di Milano, Italy (Fabio Poretti & Stefano Consonni).

This technical report, titled “A Quantitative Analysis of the US Materials Flow Methodology and Comparison to the EU Methodology for MSW Statistics”, is now accessible through open access via the following link: Read the Article

Published in the “Waste Disposal & Sustainable Energy” journal, this article conducts a meticulous quantitative analysis of the US materials flow methodology. It presents a comprehensive comparative study with the EU methodology concerning Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) statistics.

EEC|CCNY Conferences Summer 2023

EEC|CCNY research group showcased their expertise and commitment to advancing sustainable waste management technologies during a series of notable conferences over the summer of 2023. The group’s participation began at the biennial meetings of Materials and Energy from Refuse (MatER) and the International Conference on Final Sinks in Piacenza, Italy. From June 5-7, at the esteemed Polytechnic University of Milan’s Piacenza campus, current members from the Combustion and Catalysis Lab of CCNY represented the group at MatER’s 6th and the International Conference on Final Sinks 7th meetings since 2013 and 2011, respectively. During these events, the group delivered two impactful talks and showcased two posters.

Immediately following was the 28th biennial meeting of the North American Catalysis Society (NAM) held in Providence, Rhode Island, from June 18th to 23rd, 2023. The CCL group’s three members stood out among attendees, delivering a noteworthy talk and displaying two informative posters. The remarkable contributions by Kaitlyn Lawrence earned the prestigious Kokes Award, a testament to her innovative research in the field.

Also part of the summer conference circuit was the 10th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management, CHANIA 2023, held in Chania, Greece, from June 21 to 24, 2023. The conference featured Marco J. Castaldi, a distinguished keynote speaker from the City University of New York. The EEC|CCNY director presented on “Life cycle and experimental assessment of sustainable thermal processing of waste plastics.”

The EEC|CCNY research group’s active engagement at these prestigious conferences exemplified their commitment to addressing critical challenges in the domains of Materials and Energy from Refuse and Sustainable Solid Waste Management.

Congratulations to Golam, Former EEC|CCNY Associate and Chemical Engineering Master’s Graduate, on Securing a New Job as an Assistant Chemical Engineer

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Golam Chowdhury, former EEC|CCNY associate and CCNY Master’s graduate in Chemical Engineering, on securing a prestigious position as an Assistant Chemical Engineer with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) post-graduation.

Golam will undoubtedly make valuable contributions to the DEP’s mission. Moreover, we are thrilled to announce that Golam’s Master’s thesis work will be showcased at the highly anticipated AIChE Annual Meeting, where he will present his findings in an oral presentation. This recognition further underscores his commitment to advancing the field of Chemical Engineering and serves as a testament to the quality of research conducted at EEC|CCNY.

2022 EEC|CCNY WTERT Conference brought together innovators in sustainable waste management

The bi-annual WTERT Conference resumed in October of 2022 at The City College of New York after a COVID-imposed hiatus. The in-person event benefitted from global participation. Two days of sessions covered academic and industrial topics. The President of CCNY, Dr. Vincent Boudreua, opened up the proceedings for plenary speakers Doug Wicks (US Department of of Energy ARPA-E), David Biederman (SWANA), and Michael Van Brunt (Covanta).

Opening plenary speakers

Attendees from years past again participated in the 2022 conference, and new faces were very much welcomed to add their fresh perspective to the waste-to-energy material and energy recovery conversation.

Members from the WTERT Council and industry
WTERT Council members

Research Associates from EEC|CCNY and the Combustion and Catalysis Lab presented their latest research in poster and oral presentations.

We look forward to hosting the next conference in order to continue the rich exchange of ideas and lively discussion.

Two EEC|CCNY Research Associates graduate with Master’s degrees

Congratulations to Golam Chowdhury and Lauren Creadore who recently graduated from The City College of New York. Both students earned Master’s degrees (M. Eng.) after completing their dissertations on pyrolysis and combustion respectively. Golam earned a Master’s in Engineering in Chemical Engineering and published a thesis titled ‘Investigation of Recyclable Crude Oil from Biomass and Plastics’. Lauren earned a Master’s in Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and published a thesis titled ‘A Study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Performance of an Internal Combustion Engine Operating on Landfill Gas Blends as Fuel’. They have both continued to conduct research post-graduation.

CCNY PhD student in Chemical Engineering wins ASME Floyd Hasselriis Award

Kaitlyn Lawrence was one of the recipients of the ‘2021-2022 Floyd Hasselriis Educational Support’ awards sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) Materials and Energy Recovery Division. Kaitlyn is a second year PhD student conducting research in the Combustion and Catalysis Lab directed by Professor Marco J. Castaldi.

The Floyd Hasselriis award was established to support students and institutions interested in solid waste management and related fields, is named after the late Floyd Hasselriis, a major contributor to the fields of incineration and thermal treatment technologies and author of the foremost text on the topic of refuse-derived fuel.

Congratulations Kaitlyn!