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Incinerators not needed to get waste out of landfill
14 January 2009
Responding to the National Audit Office report 'Managing the waste PFI programme' published today, Friends of the Earth's senior resource use campaigner Michael Warhurst said:
"We can meet targets for keeping waste out of landfill and avoid building expensive and polluting incinerators by improving recycling and composting facilities."
"There remains a strong market for quality recyclable materials - councils can ensure they meet this demand by separating our recycling when they collect it."
"Using the Earth's finite resources more efficiently and cost-effectively means striving for higher levels of reuse, recycling and composting. Landfilling and burning valuable materials is economic madness."
Notes:
1. For information on how to meet Government waste targets without incineration see 'Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme', Friends of the Earth briefing, September 2007, www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/lats.pdf
2. Collecting separated recyclables is the best way to make sure materials are recycled in this country. For more information see 'Recycling Collections', Friends of the Earth's briefing, September 2008, www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/recycling_collections.pdf
3. Higher levels of reuse, recycling and composting will reduce climate impacts and increase resource efficiency. For more information see 'Recycling', Friends of the Earth briefing, September 2008, www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/recycling.pdf
4. For more information on the climate impacts of incineration see 'Dirty Truths', Friends of the Earth briefing, May 2007. View online at www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/dirty_truths.pdf
5. Friends of the Earth's general briefing on incineration, Up in Smoke: www.foe.co.uk/resource/media_briefing/up_in_smoke.pdf
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Feb 2009
