Archived press release

Scores of new 'monster' incinerators planned

30 June 1999

Government plans to burn up to 10 million tonnes of household waste will be fiercely resisted by communities across the UK, Friends of the Earth predicted today following publication of the Government's new draft waste strategy. The proposal to build as many as 130 new incinerators by 2015 - whilst only recycling 33 per cent of waste compared to the 40+ per cent achieved in other European countries [1] - risks re-branding the UK as the“dirty man of Europe”. FOE suspects that the Treasury and DTI have prevented Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, from developing more ambitious proposals.

FOE is also concerned at the apparent unwillingness of the Government to provide local authorities with money for recycling schemes. They also seem unwilling to regulate to ensure there is a market for materials collected in recycling schemes. This lack of action could result in the non-statutory recycling targets being “missed by a mile”, just as the previous Government's target of recycling 25 per cent by 2000 has no hope of being met.The UK currently recycles about 8 per cent of its waste.

FOE is calling for:
. a statutory recycling target of 50 per cent;
. proceeds from the landfill tax to be made available to recycling schemes (together with a new tax on incineration);
. new regulations to ensure that packaging and newspapers have a high minimum recycled content of recycled materials.

Mike Childs, Senior Waste Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:
“By planning to build scores of new incinerators, this new waste strategy has set the Government on a collusion course with communities across the UK. People simply don't want the pollution and waste of resources that these monsters will bring. Michael Meacher should have looked to Europe and recognised that intensive recycling services are the way forwards, creating new green industries and thousands of new jobs. Once again the Treasury and DTI appear to have scuppered plans to turn the UK green.”

[1] For example, the Netherlands recycles 45 per cent of household waste and Switzerland 42 per cent.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust