Dive Brief:

• The York County Solid Waste Authority in Pennsylvania transforms narcotics into energy. 
• Police Chief Greg Bean brings around 40 pounds of confiscated drugs to the plant every six months. He is escorted on the site, where he throws the box of illegal drugs into the incinerator. Workers then deposit four tons of trash onto the drugs to guarantee they burn.
• The drugs, combined with the waste, create fuel for the water boilers that create steam for turbines. 

Dive Insight:

The spokesperson for the YCSWA said that previously, the drugs were deposited at landfills, which could produce "a negative environmental situation." 

The process is also free: Although police used to pay a one-time minimum $200 charge, the waste authority said last week that it would allow the authorities to use its incinerator for free.