250 Million Tons Carbon Offset

Covanta has reached a significant milestone—converting more than 250 million tons of waste into energy and offsetting 250 million tons of greenhouse gases. Turning waste into watts, Covanta’s 35 domestic facilities offset approximately one ton of greenhouse gases for every ton of waste processed.

The 250 million tons of residual municipal solid waste converted into energy since beginning operations in 1986 has several significant environmental benefits. Covanta has:

• Offset enough greenhouse gas emissions to have the same benefit as planting 6 billion trees;
• Generated enough clean, renewable electricity to power 11 million homes;
• Preserved hundreds of acres of land and habitat– 250 million tons of waste is enough to cover the entire island of Manhattan 30 feet deep; and
• Recycled approximately 5 million tons of metal that would have otherwise been landfilled; enough metal to build 60 Golden Gate bridges.