Energy recovery uses the energy in residual waste through controlled incineration, generating heat and electricity. You apply it when reuse or recycling is no longer possible. It is a last step in the waste hierarchy, after reduce, reuse and recycle. For stand up pouches: first choose mono PE or mono PP and add clear sorting instructions. Only when separation is not possible does energy recovery come into view. Modern facilities operate under strict emission standards and supply heat to district heating networks and electricity to the grid.