Abstract: Raw and uncomminuted refuse is introduced through an entrance port into a substantially closed chamber as a horizontally flowing stream so that the refuse drops in the chamber along a path. A current of air is circulated in a closed circuit through the chamber and is directed in the chamber generally perpendicular to the path of the falling refuse and is inspired in the chamber through a sieve oriented substantially perpendicular to the current in the chamber. A minor portion of the air is withdrawn from the circuit, filtered, and released to the atmosphere. This withdrawn portion is replaced in the circuit by drawing air into the chamber substantially only through the entrance port so that slight subatmosphere pressure is created in the chamber to prevent the generation of unwanted dust or smell.

Abstract: Any bundles in household refuse are broken up and this refuse is then coarsely comminuted with the broken up bundles, only the hard components of the refuse being comminuted with the light components merely being temporarily deformed between a pair of rollers having surface formations. Thereafter the coarsely comminuted refuse is separated by means of a drum-type sieve into a heavy fraction and a light fraction. The light fraction is finely comminuted into granules which are blown into a burning chamber in which they are suspended on a gas. The granules are combusted in this chamber to form a hot gas that is recirculated to sterilize and dry the heavy fraction and to dry the finely comminuted light fraction before its burning.