Coalition for Responsible Waste Incineration

Today, throughout the world, high temperature combustion is used to reduce the volume and toxicity of hazardous waste. With responsible management, this technology is safe, effective, and reduces the amount of hazardous materials sent to landfills.

Despite being highly studied by technical experts, combustors that reach 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit and burn greater than 99.99 percent of the material fed to them are still poorly understood by the general public. At the same time, industries that operate combustors benefit from the ongoing research and training in this field, and government regulators require ready access to both academic and industrial developments in combustion. All interested parties need a way to share the current abundance of information on combustion. The Coalition for Responsible Waste Incineration (CRWI), founded in 1987, is designed to meet this need. CRWI provides information to people who want to better use and understand high temperature combustion technology.

CRWI's goals have been focused from the very start. CRWI exists to:

• Reduce hazardous industrial waste;
• Help member companies improve their combustion operations through sharing the scientific knowledge available in the field;
• Facilitate combustion  research;
• Cooperate with lawmakers and regulators to produce environmentally sound laws and regulations governing hazardous waste management; and
• Educate and raise public consciousness about the importance of combustion.

The first step in a comprehensive waste management system is to find innovative ways to eliminate waste generation in the first place; using less hazardous materials in production operations wherever practicable; and turning would-be wastes into raw materials for use in either the same manufacturing process or in a totally different processes. The second step is source reduction and recycling. The third step for some waste is to reduce the volume and toxicity through high temperature combustion. The final step is disposal. Hopefully by the time, the volume and toxicity has been minimized.  

For the relatively small quantity of waste that cannot be eliminated from the production cycle in any other way, high temperature combustion is a tested and proven means of managing these materials. CRWI dedicates itself to providing accurate and timely information to make all judgements about high temperature combustion, better informed judgements.

Board of Directors

Each Full Member company holds one seat on CRWI's governing body, the Board of Directors, and has one vote in establishing priorities and direction. Board members are elected by the member companies to a three-year term.

Executive Committee

The Chairman, Chairman-Elect and Secretary/Treasurer are elected by the Board to a one-year term.

Executive Director

The Executive Director coordinates the day-to-day administration of the Coalition.

Coalition membership is open to individuals, partnerships, businesses, and academic institutions promoting responsible combustion of industrial wastes as part of an overall waste management strategy and willing to subscribe to CRWI's Bylaws. Membership is available in five categories.

Full Membership

Open to individual, partnership, firm or corporation which generates and/or thermally treats hazardous waste.

Open to individual, partnership, firm or corporation which generates but does not thermally treats hazardous waste.

Associate Membership

Open to any individual, partnership, firm, or corporation which provides equipment or services to the hazardous waste combustion industry not otherwise qualified to be a Full Member or a Generator Member.

Academic Membership

Individual Life Time Membership

Open to any individual who is interested in promoting the responsible use of incineration as a waste management practice, has expertise in the field of hazardous waste incineration, has contributed significantly to the CRWI's work, and is not currently employed with a firm that is either a Full, Generator, or Associate Member.