Incineration would increase pollution in Wales, say campaigners

16 January 2009

The campaign against waste incineration in Wales has been stepped up by environmentalists, who argue that it would create hazardous waste and increase pollution.

Friends of the Earth Cymru has called on Environment Minister Jane Davidson to take a tougher line on the burning of waste as she drafts a new waste policy for Wales.

At present, a number of local authorities in Wales are considering building waste incinerators. A planning application has already been submitted for a massive incinerator in Cardiff.

Haf Elgar, campaigner for Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "Incineration produces dangerous hazardous waste, not green energy as is often claimed.

"Friends of the Earth Cymru is very concerned to hear that the Minister is proposing to allow the bottom ash produced by incineration to be included towards recycling targets.

"A number of recent studies[1] have shown that bottom ash is not harmless and should be classified as hazardous waste. Including it as recycling could bring genuine recycling rates down substantially, and would seriously undermine Wales' ambitious recycling targets.

"There are also new developments which suggest that incineration is environmentally worse than landfill.

"The new EU Waste Framework Directive that came into force in December defines incineration as a 'disposal' option. It can only be classed as 'recovery' if much of the waste heat is used in a way that most incinerators in the UK simply cannot meet.

"The UK Committee on Climate Change has said that Anaerobic Digestion and Mechanical and Biological Treatment have 'the least overall greenhouse gas emissions or greatest greenhouse gas savings'[2].

"But incineration has, in a recent study, been assessed as the highest greenhouse gas emitting waste disposal option."

"We welcome the Assembly Government's announcement for more funding for anaerobic digestion, and the increase in local authorities collecting food waste for anaerobic digestion in Wales.

"We believe that other waste treatment technologies, such as Mechanical Biological Treatment, should also be taken more seriously by the Assembly. Incineration needs to be clearly seen as the least environmentally-friendly option there is."

NOTES

1. Lapa, Barbosa et al (2002) 'Ecotoxicological assessment of leachates from MSWI bottom ashes' Waste Management 22(6): 583-893. Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdon were the five states; Ferrari, Radetski et al. (1999) 'Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry' 18(6): 1195-1202; UNEP & Calrecovery Inc (2005) http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/
spc/Solid_Waste_Management ; Xiao, Oorsprong et al (2008) 'Vitrification of bottom ash from a municipal solid waste incinerator' Waste Management 28(6); 1020-1026.

2. 'Building a low-carbon economy'. p.352-355, UK Committee on Climate Change, 1 December 2008

For further information please contact Friends of the Earth Cymru on 029 2022 9577