Waste To Energy Market Trend, Share, Growth, Size, Analysis and Forecast 2034

Global Waste to Energy Market Industry Prospective:

The global waste to energy market was worth around USD 37.47 Billion in 2024 and is estimated to grow to about USD 62.21 Billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.2% between 2025 and 2034. The report analyzes the waste to energy market’s drivers, restraints/challenges, and the effect they have on the demands during the projection period. In addition, the report explores emerging opportunities in the waste to energy market.

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Waste to Energy Market: Overview

The demand for energy has evolved in the past decade and in the wake of changing climate conditions we are expected to see innovative sustainable ways to fulfill our energy demands in the near future. Increasing focus on climate change and increasingly stringent mandates to effectively manage waste are expected to be major drivers for the waste to energy market growth through 2028.

Waste to energy is anticipated to be a prominent trend in the forecast period as it solves the problem of waste management and energy generation at the same time with minimal impact on the environment and meets sustainability goals.

Increasing focus on environment conservation, favorable government subsidies, rising focus on sustainability, and increasing popularity of renewable energy are prominent trends that are projected to drive the waste to energy market potential through 2028.

In this growing world, non-renewable energy sources are moving towards extinction and many global concerns have arisen such as global warming and greenhouse effect. Therefore, there is a need to generate an alternate unconventional energy source which can be considered as a significant alternative for the existence of the future. Waste to energy is the process where various technologies are used for the conversion of non-recyclable waste into energy. The energy includes various forms such as electricity, heat, and also produces combustible fuels such as ethanol, methanol, and others. The various technologies processing on waste include pyrolysis, incineration, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery, among others. The waste includes both biomass and non-biomass material such as plastic waste, food waste, and paper & paperboard, among others. Waste to energy management plays a significant role in waste disposal infrastructure of any nation. 

Rising population which, in turn, has lead to an increase in the generation of waste is the strong factor prominently increasing the demand for the waste to energy market. Moreover, supportive government initiatives and stringent regulations regarding the waste disposal is also a considerable factor driving the growth of the waste to energy market during the forecast period. In addition to this, rising technological advancement in waste disposal processes is also bolstering the market growth. However, high installation and maintenance cost are certain factors hampering the growth of the market.

Key Insights

• As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global waste to energy market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 5.2% over the forecast period (2025-2034).
• Regarding revenue, the global waste to energy market size was valued at around USD 37.47 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 62.21 Billion by 2034.
• The waste to energy market is projected to grow at a significant rate due to rising focus on sustainable waste management, government incentives, and advancements in energy recovery technologies.
• Based on Technology, the Thermochemical segment is expected to lead the global market.
• On the basis of Waste Type, the Municipal Solid Waste segment is growing at a high rate and will continue to dominate the global market.
• Based on the Application, the Electricity segment is projected to swipe the largest market share.
• Based on region, Europe is predicted to dominate the global market during the forecast period.

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Waste to Energy Market: Growth Drivers

Increasing Demand for Clean Energy

The demand for energy from multiple end-use verticals is paramount and has never been higher and increasing concerns about the harmful impacts of conventional energy generation methods have promoted the use of clean energy generation methods. The world is also grappling with waste management and waste to energy solves these two issues with minimal environmental impact and hence has seen a rise in popularity. Stringent mandates to adopt clean energy and effective waste management are two major factors driving waste to energy market growth through 2028

Waste to Energy Market: Opportunities

Increasing Stringent Government Mandates for Waste Management and Energy Generation

Governments across the world have been implementing stringent and strict mandates to reduce waste and reduce their carbon footprint and this is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for waste to energy market growth on a global scale. Rapid technological advancements in waste to energy technology and increasing demand from consumers for clean energy are expected to further bolster waste to energy market potential through the forecast period.

Waste To Energy Market: Report Scope    

Global Waste to Energy Market: Segmentation

By Technology Analysis

Biochemical to Hold Dominant Market Share Due to Crucial Role in Reducing Waste

Based on technology, the market is divided into biochemical and thermochemical. In biochemical technology, the anaerobic digestion technology has wide acceptance for biogas production. The growing trend of electricity production through biomass will likely result in the dominance of biochemical technology in the global waste to energy market share. In June 2018, the EU institutions agreed on a new Renewable Energy Directive for the next decade, including a legally-binding EU-wide target of 32% for renewable energy by 2030, in which the biogas sector will undoubtedly contribute to achieving this goal.

Furthermore, in thermochemical technology, incineration holds a significant share of WtE technology compared to other thermochemical technology such as thermal technology. This trend will likely continue owing to relatively low technology costs, market maturity, and high efficiency of about 25%. In addition, incineration is suitable in urban and rural areas and takes in all types of waste.

By Waste Type Analysis

Municipal Solid Waste Dominates Market Due to Increasing Consumption of Goods

Based on waste type, the market is segmented into municipal solid waste, process waste, agricultural waste, and others.

Municipal solid waste holds a dominating share of this market owing to higher waste generation from households, offices, shops, schools, hospitals, hotels, and other institutions. In addition, process waste is produced mainly due to industrial activities and has surged over time due to rise in industrial activities. However, government entities such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set up a framework that focuses on re-using the waste produced as raw material, which is likely to promote the re-use of waste produced from industrial processes.

Furthermore, agricultural waste also holds a significant share of the WtE conversion due to its considerable adoption in the gasification and pyrolysis process. In the waste to energy market forecast timeframe, the increase in waste from residues and agricultural production will likely drive the waste to energy market growth from agricultural waste. Other waste types, such as manure waste, waste from silts, pesticides, herbicides, and so on are also adopted for energy conversion.

By Application Analysis

High Electricity Production from Waste Results in Dominating Share of Electricity Application

Based on application, the market is bifurcated into electricity and heat. Increasing electricity from clean energy sources to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emission results in high electricity output from waste sources.

The generation of usable heat from waste is widely used for various heating purposes across residential and industrial areas and also holds a significant market share. The generation of heat as a byproduct of energy from waste with additional earnings results in the remarkable growth of WtE for heat generation applications.

Recent Developments

• In February 2022 – Stenergy revealed plans for a new state-of-the-art food waste plant in Worcestershire and is expected to majorly revolutionize the green goals in this region. The 30-million-euro food waste to biomethane plant will be established on the former site of Worcestershire College of Agriculture.
• In March 2022 – McCulla created a novel waste to energy solution to power its transportation fleet. This is done by using their existing anaerobic digestion plant to produce compressed biomethane and use it as a biofuel.

Regional Landscape

The market for waste to energy in Europe is expected to have a bright outlook owing to the increasing need for energy and increasingly strict government mandates for effective waste management. Rising consumer awareness, favorable regulatory mandates, and subsidies from the government are also expected to boost waste to energy market growth through 2028 in the European region.

The North America waste to energy market is expected to account for a prominent market share and the growth in this region can be attributed to increasing focus on environmental protection and combating climate change issues. The major contributor to this region is expected to be the United States where the government’s emphasis on reducing carbon footprint and clean energy generation is increasing.

The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to rise at the fastest CAGR of all regions and the demand is prominently expected to be driven by economies like China, Japan, and India. Supportive government initiatives, increasing investments in clean energy generation, and rising consumer awareness are expected to be major factors influencing waste to energy market growth through 2028.

Competitive Landscape

The report provides a company market share analysis to give a broader overview of the key market players. In addition, the report also covers key strategic developments of the market, including acquisitions & mergers, new product launches, agreements, partnerships, collaborations & joint ventures, research & development, and regional expansion of major participants involved in the waste to energy market on a global and regional basis.

Some of the main competitors dominating the global waste to energy market include -

• Waste Management Inc.
• Suez Environment S.A.
• C&G Environmental Protection Holdings
• Constructions industrielles de la Méditerranée (CNIM)
• China Everbright International Limited
• Covanta Energy Corporation
• Foster Wheeler A.G.
• Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC
• Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises
• Veolia Environment.

Global waste to energy market is segmented as follows:

By Technology

• Thermal
• Incineration
• Pyrolysis
• Gasification
• Biochemical
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • The U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • France
  • The UK
  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • Australia
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia Pacific
• The Middle East & Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Egypt
  • Kuwait
  • South Africa
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of Latin America