Pollution of solid wastes（especially for hazardous wastes） is a serious environmental problem in the world

especially in China

however

thermal plasma technology can be adopted for efficient and safe solution to properly dispose municipal solid waste and toxic or hazardous solid wastes. We introduced the brief classification and status quo of plasma torch and relative plasma process technologies. Moreover

we reviewed the studies on the application of thermal plasma in the fields of medical wastes

electroplating sludge

asbestos-containing wastes

military wastes

chloro-containing wastes

incineration fly ash

electronic wastes

and intermediate–level radioactive wastes

including typical process

mechanisms and relative studies. Finally

we summarized the near-zero-emission potential of plasma technology in the aspects of treating hazardous wastes

harmlessness

and resource utilization

and analyzed the existing problems and possible development directions. It is foreseeable that plasma technology will be an important development trend in the hazardous waste industry.