Wheelabrator Westchester and White Plains Linen Receive Earth Day Award

Wheelabrator Westchester and White Plains Linen have received a 2014 Earth Day Award from Westchester County for a first-of-its-kind renewable energy project in the City of Peekskill. The award was presented to company executives at Westchester’s Earth Day celebration at Croton Point Park on Sunday, May 18.

In 2013, the companies constructed a steam line linking the Wheelabrator Westchester waste-to-energy plant to White Plains Linen’s neighboring commercial laundry.  Steam from Wheelabrator Technologies’ Westchester waste-to-energy facility is used to power White Plain Linen’s laundry equipment and room heating systems, reducing the facility’s natural gas consumption by 90 percent.

This steep reduction in the laundry’s natural gas usage eliminates 4,775 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent to taking nearly 1,000 passenger vehicles off the road.

“Many people don’t realize the majority of Westchester’s solid waste is processed at Wheelabrator Westchester, which is a vast improvement from landfilling our waste,” said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “The  County  Department of Environmental Facilities acknowledged Wheelabrator and White Plains Linen this year, not only for their ahead-of-the-curve thinking redirecting  residual steam to power the commercial laundry facility, but also to  make our local public more aware of the inherent benefits of having a waste-to-energy facility within our borders. “

 “For nearly 30 years, Wheelabrator Westchester has been converting post-recycled waste into a clean, renewable source of electricity for the region,” said Brett Baker, plant manager of Wheelabrator Westchester. “We extend our sincere gratitude to Westchester County for recognizing our partnership with White Plains Linen, which expands the use of renewable energy and further reduces local dependence on fossil fuels. The reliable delivery of clean energy such as steam to support local industry and economic growth is a business solution we hope to provide to additional customers in the future.”

Designed, constructed and operated by Wheelabrator Technologies, the Wheelabrator Westchester plant processes up to 2,250 tons per day of municipal solid waste.  Inside the plant, waste is transferred to utility-type boilers that recover thermal energy in the form of high pressure steam, which is converted to electrical power by a turbine.  The plant generates 60,000 kilowatts of electricity — enough to power 88,000 New York homes. 

A wholly owned subsidiary of Waste Management, Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. is a leader in the safe and environmentally sound conversion of municipal solid waste and other renewable waste fuels into clean energy.