# Waste-to-energy: Overview

Rubbish, residues and spent oil turned back into energy

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/overview/

What this tile covers Getting energy from rubbish, residues and spent oils. Share of use 0.4% share of final energy use supplied (2025)

Share of world final energy use (about 435 EJ, the same denominator as Conversion and use) supplied by recovered or reused energy, where a global figure exists; most methods have no global total and are left null Over 3,100 plants with more than 640 Mt a year of capacity (ecoprog, end-2025); at an assumed 10 MJ/kg (residual waste ranges about 8-16 MJ/kg) and 25% useful power and heat output, about 1.6 EJ a year (calculated). Uses capacity, not throughput, so on the high side. About 1.6 EJ a year, divided by world final energy use of about 435 EJ (calculated). Source: [Waste-to-energy: global growth, market downturn in China (reporting ecoprog, Waste to Energy 2025/2026)](https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/biomass/wastetoenergy-global-growth-market-downturn-in-china-20260305), Renewable Energy Magazine.

#### Key facts

| **Waste energy** | Fuel |
|---|---|

#### Included from the reference tables

- Waste-to-energy incineration
- RDF and co-processing in cement kilns
- Pyrolysis and gasification of waste
- Used oil re-refining
- Agricultural residue use

#### Also in Pressure, motion and waste fuels
[TX Pressure and flow recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_pressure_recovery/)[Rgn Regenerative braking and motion recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_regen_braking/)[Flr Flare and off-gas recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_flare_recovery/)[Cold LNG cold and cryogenic recovery](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_lng_cold/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: science and thermodynamics, engineering and integration, economics and contracts, impact and additionality, what to track.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and thermodynamics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/rc-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and integration](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/rc-eng/index.md)
- [Economics and contracts](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/rc-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/rc-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_waste_to_energy/links/index.md)