# Why not just drop trash into volcanoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193 "2011-02-04T20:13:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/21 "2011-02-05T00:57:09Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Pennsylvanians It doesn’t roll off the tongue like “New Joisey”. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/22 "2011-02-05T02:00:01Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > The trash will burn on the inside of the container before the container itself melts. When the container finally does melt, it will “contain” all the ash, thus keeping it from floating up towards the sky. If you mean drop it directly into magma, do you have any idea how hot that is? Your “container” would melt instantly. ---
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/23 "2011-02-05T02:43:14Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If you mean drop it directly into magma, do you have any idea how hot that is? Your “container” would melt instantly. And just one split second before that, all the trash inside would be burnt to a crisp, with the steel melting over it making it so I won’t float into the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/24 "2011-02-05T03:57:14Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > You can burn it locally for much cheaper and that saves people money. Technically, you can burn it locally and MAKE money by using it to make electricity. There are 100 such plants in the United States and 400 of them in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/25 "2011-02-05T04:10:41Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Pennsylvanians I’m picturing a reality show with an Amish dude holding up his button-less shirt to reveal rock-hard abs. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/26 "2011-02-05T04:13:32Z")
Aren’t there power plants being developed or already in existence that basically vaporize garbage with a plasma arc down to its constituent atoms while generating enough excess electricity to perpetuate the power plant? If so, isn’t that the answer? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/27 "2011-02-05T04:17:52Z")
Like a really big Mr. Fusion? ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/28 "2011-02-05T04:32:53Z")
> [@Shamozzle](#): > > Aren’t there power plants being developed or already in existence that basically vaporize garbage with a plasma arc down to its constituent atoms while generating enough excess electricity to perpetuate the power plant? If so, isn’t that the answer? I could have sworn I read an article online last year that said the City of Ottawa was working on building something like this. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/29 "2011-02-05T05:10:21Z")
It would have been a good idea until those hippie do-gooders got their way in the 80s and 90s. Now that there is so much recycling going on, it’s impossible to tell what part of the garbage stream contains recycled materials and what part of it is virgin materials. Everyone knows the latter is the only acceptable volcano fodder. ---
**Author:** ![wolf11469](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf11469/32/12464_2.png) [@wolf11469](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf11469)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/30 "2011-02-05T06:07:08Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > I could have sworn I read an article online last year that said the City of Ottawa was working on building something like this. > **[Plasma gasification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_arc_waste_disposal)** > > Plasma gasification is a thermal process that converts organic matter into a syngas (synthesis gas) which is primarily made up of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A plasma torch powered by an electric arc ionizes gas and transforms organic matter into syngas, producing slag as a byproduct. It is used commercially as a form of waste treatment. It has been tested for the gasification of refuse-derived fuel, biomass, industrial waste, hazardous waste, and solid hydrocarbons, such as coal, oi A plasma... ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/31 "2011-02-05T06:29:35Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Xenu’s Space Fleet? Hobbits. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/32 "2011-02-05T13:32:09Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > (…) Also, all the good volcanos are located in places where the Mafia doesn’t maintain branch offices. They’d be notably upset if we just willy-nilly took their jobs away from them and outsourced them to the Indonesians. One word: Etna. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/33 "2011-02-05T13:37:37Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > It would have been a good idea until those hippie do-gooders got their way in the 80s and 90s. Now that there is so much recycling going on, it’s impossible to tell what part of the garbage stream contains recycled materials and what part of it is virgin materials. Everyone knows the latter is the only acceptable volcano fodder. Not recycling and getting rid of the stuff as fuel might help the economy: we’d have to make all new stuff instead, and we’d have to get that new stuff from somewhere… ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/34 "2011-02-05T16:03:15Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > One word: Etna. > [@GreasyJack](#): > > You could just stockpile the trash _near_ a volcano and then incinerate it while the volcano is erupting. Nature seems to get a free pass on its air pollution and who’s gonna notice a little extra smoke and ash, right? Actually, this is the plan in Naples, Italy. Stockpile in the streets\* and wait for Mt. Vesuvius to do it’s thing. \*Naples is “known” for frequent public service strikes; sometimes the Army is called out to clear the streets. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/35 "2011-02-05T22:48:55Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > And just one split second before that, all the trash inside would be burnt to a crisp, with the steel melting over it making it so I won’t float into the sky. I don’t know – it might take more time to transmit the heat evenly through the entire container than it would take for the steel to melt. And even assuming it didn’t, I don’t understand what you’re saying – the gas produced by the burning trash (making the further assumption that all the trash was completely burnable) would just bubble up out into the sky as soon as the steel container melted, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/36 "2011-02-05T22:54:18Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > bombs in volcanos. Band name! 🆒 Or a really weird love song!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/37 "2011-02-05T23:19:48Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > I don’t know – it might take more time to transmit the heat evenly through the entire container than it would take for the steel to melt. > > And even assuming it didn’t, I don’t understand what you’re saying – the gas produced by the burning trash (making the further assumption that all the trash was completely burnable) would just bubble up out into the sky as soon as the steel container melted, wouldn’t it? Yeah, I was being facetious in that last post. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/38 "2011-02-06T01:05:19Z")
> [@wolf11469](#): > > [Plasma gasification - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_arc_waste_disposal) Interesting, said the City Council candidate. What sort of megawattage are we looking at from these? ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193/39 "2011-02-07T11:29:58Z")
Why are you people still calling it trash? Over here, it’s become Ressources. Besides recycling as much as possible of the current stuff (which is much more than 30 years back, because of new technology) and burning the rest for heat/power, there’s also “urban mining” - using the rubble of demolished buildings (sorted at the site itself) to build new houses, and also opening old landfills to re-sort valuable recycable material that was just dumped in the 50s and 60s (this is different from re-opening landfills in the 70s and 80s that had been badly constructed and were leaking contaminants into the groundwater). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-just-drop-trash-into-volcanoes/570193.md?page=1)