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Government plans to increase incineration slammed
19 January 2006
Friends of the Earth reacted with concern tonight at suggestions, reported by the BBC[1], that the government is planning to force through a big increase in incineration capacity in the UK.
Friends of the Earth's waste campaigner, Michael Warhurst, said:
“Incinerators are not a solution to Britain's waste problem. Green energy claims by the industry are a myth. Recycling saves more energy than is created by burning waste, and incinerators are extremely inefficient generators of energy, producing more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than an old-fashioned coal fired power station. The Government should tackle the UK's waste crisis by reducing the amount we generate and ensuring a huge expansion in recycling.”
The UK currently recycles just over 20 per cent of its domestic waste. Friends of the Earth is campaigning for the UK to recycle and compost at least 75% of its waste by 2015. There should also be a long term aim of greener product design to reduce the amount of waste generated, and to make them more recyclable.
In the interim period the non-recycled waste should be further processed before land-filling (through a so-called MBT plant), to reduce the volume of waste and avoid greenhouse gas emissions from landfill sites. This processed material could be potentially used in contaminated land treatment or landfill cover.
Mass burn incinerators of the type proposed in the UK are hugely damaging for recycling. They are very expensive and require long term contracts that force councils to continue giving waste to the incinerator company, rather than recycling it.
Note
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4621710.stm
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
