The European Union Directive 2008/98/EC defines the hierarchy of stages in which waste management must take place. He suggests that waste prevention should be a top priority, followed by reuse and recycling of materials. However, in a modern society, driven by demand and profit, this tactic is very unlikely to succeed, especially in terms of reduction and reuse. As a result, the production of municipal solid waste (MSW) is expected to increase by a further 16% by 2020 in the EU-27, of which 80% would be produced in the EU-15 (which includes the United Kingdom) (Skovgaard et al., 2008). This implies that the “3 R” strategy is failing to achieve its key objective: reducing waste. Attention should therefore also focus on options that could help reduce waste accumulation rather than just prevention. One of the most effective strategies for reducing landfill waste is to divert it to waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities. The most popular form of waste-to-energy, for technical and economic reasons, is waste-to-energy incineration (WtEI). This causes a lot of controversy, mainly because it is associated with technologies from the past, when air pollution controls did not exist. This has led to significant environmental degradation and health problems. Naturally, this left cremation in a bad light. However, modern incinerators emit less than 10% of pollutants than their counterparts 25 years ago (DEFRA, 2013). Technology has the potential to play an important role as part of waste management strategy, but it is equally important as a component of a balanced energy mix. This essay presents available evidence that sheds new light on waste-to-energy, highlighting its impact on the environment, energy security and human health. In 2011, waste management contributed 17.3 MtCO2e (3.1...... middle of article..... .te Management 29, 1718-1724Shalunenko, N., I. , Korolyuk, T., A., 2012. Ash-based building glass material from waste incineration plants, Vol. 69, Nos. 11 – 12,. ., Villanueva, A., Andersen, F., M., Larsen, H., 2008. ETC/RWM Working Paper on Municipal Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases 2008/1 Available at: http:/ /scp.eionet.europa.eu/publications/wp2008_1/wp/wp1_2008 Accessed: December 4, 2013 Tabasová, A., Kropác, J., Kermes, V., Nemet, A., Stehlík, P., 2012. Energy from waste: Environmental impact. Energy 44, 146-155UK biomass strategy, 2007. Working paper 1 – Economic analysis of the Energy Technologies Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry.nationalarchives.gov. .uk/+/http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file39040.pdf Accessed: November 24 2013