Archived press release

Government Talks Rubbish on Waste Tour

4 June 1996

Government Talks Rubbish on Waste Tour

As the Department of the Environment today launched the promotional tour for its strategy for dealing with waste, 'Making Waste Work',(1) Friends of the Earth slammed the DOE for hypocrisy. They pointed out that by embracing the option of incineration (in the guise of energy-from-waste), the Government is undermining the whole concept of reducing waste, and of treating that which is produced as a resource.

The strategy falls down on the following points:

It has no target for reducing the amount of waste produced in the first place It claims that incineration is environmentally on a par with recycling,as a strategy for dealing with waste The targets it does contain, for recycling and reduction in landfill,are far too low

Friends of the Earth opposes incineration as a waste of resources, and because it produces both hazardous ash and air pollution. Moreover, because incinerator operators require contracts for consistent minimum quantities of waste over the 20-plus year lifetime of the incinerator, their very existence undermines recycling, reuse and waste reduction schemes.

Anna Thomas of FOE's Industry and Pollution Campaign said,

"Claiming that an incinerator in an area won't gobble up the waste is like saying you expect beer to be left in the house after the England football team's been to stay. It's predictable that they will both consume copious quantities as well as leaving a terrible mess afterwards. Policies based on incineration leave little room for more constructive plans that would protect the environment and create more jobs."

"One of the Government's flagship case studies of waste reduction is the reusable toner cartridges in Royal Mail's photocopiers in the North. This may be laudable, but it is hardly a groundbreaking national example to be proud of.The fact they couldn't come up with anything better demonstrates the Government's lack of commitment to waste reduction."ENDS

Notes(1) The tour starts on 4th June at 9am, at Bournemouth's Moat House Hotel

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust