Waste-to-energy is a form of energy recovery that refers to any waste treatment that generates energy in the form of electricity or heat from a waste source. The rising focus on these technologies is due to their potential to reduce or eliminate waste that otherwise would contribute to greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Several waste-to-energy technologies have already been commercialized and successful in generating interest and investment in these projects.

Commercial waste-to-energy technologies can be broadly segmented as: