The term incinerate means to burn something until nothing is left but ashes. An incinerator is a unit or facility used to burn trash and other types of waste until it is reduced to ash. An incinerator is constructed of heavy, well-insulated materials, so that it does not give off extreme amounts of external heat. The high levels of heat are kept inside the furnace or unit so that the waste is burned quickly and efficiently. If the heat were allowed to escape, the waste would not burn as completely or as rapidly.

One function of an incinerator is to dispose of trash or waste effectively, eliminating the high cost of having waste hauled away and deposited elsewhere, such as piling even more rubbish atop existing landfills. Incinerators also serve to keep dangerous materials from finding their way to landfills where they can harm people, including those that work in such facilities. Another benefit is the fact that an incinerator can produce power in the process of waste burning, though not all incinerators harness that power.

Since not only power but also smog and air pollution are byproducts of incineration, some people feel that an incinerator is a poor alternative to other waste disposal methods. They believe it is simply a trade off, exchanging land waste for smog. However, an incinerator can dispose of an incredible amount of solid waste when utilized properly, which proves to many people that it is the most efficient waste disposal process.

Aside from reducing the sheer quantity of solid waste by roughly 90%, an incinerator can also be used to manage certain materials that cannot be disposed of properly by simply dumping them in another location due to issues of public health and safety. The extreme temperatures produced by an incinerator can obliterate certain biohazards, as well as other toxic materials which are found in medical and hazardous waste. Other dangerous and harmful materials can also be broken down in an incinerator, such as confiscated drugs, bio-weapons, and contaminants. The use of an incinerator, as well as all other processes by which waste is disposed of, is strictly regulated to protect our health and the environment.