Book excerpt: Advanced Technology for the Conversion of Waste into Fuels and Chemicals: Volume 1: Biological Processes presents advanced and combined techniques that can be used to convert waste to energy, including combustion, gasification, paralysis, anaerobic digestion and fermentation. The book focuses on solid waste conversion to fuel and energy and presents the latest advances in the design, manufacture, and application of conversion technologies. Contributors from the fields of physics, chemistry, metallurgy, engineering and manufacturing present a truly trans-disciplinary picture of the field. Chapters cover important aspects surrounding the conversion of solid waste into fuel and chemicals, describing how valuable energy can be recouped from various waste materials. As huge volumes of solid waste are produced globally while huge amounts of energy are produced from fossil fuels, the technologies described in this comprehensive book provide the information necessary to pursue clean, sustainable power from waste material. - Presents the latest advances in waste to energy techniques for converting solid waste to valuable fuel and energy - Brings together contributors from physics, chemistry, metallurgy, engineering and the manufacturing industry - Includes advanced techniques such as combustion, gasification, paralysis, anaerobic digestion and fermentation - Goes far beyond municipal waste, including discussions on recouping valuable energy from a variety of industrial waste materials - Describes how waste to energy technologies present an enormous opportunity for clean, sustainable energy