If all the incinerators in our planning process are built in the next few years we will double our capacity to burn waste and double greenhouse gas emissions. So if government aims to reduce the waste we produce, do we have less recycling or import more waste?

If all the incinerators in our planning process are built in the next few years we will double our capacity to burn waste and double greenhouse gas emissions. So if government aims to reduce the waste we produce, do we have less recycling or import more waste?

As the government draws up its plans for waste reduction, I am pressing them to ‘do the maths’ on the growth of Energy from Waste incinerators. The amount of usable waste going to landfill has dropped dramatically in recent years, but almost all of this has been burnt rather than reused/recycled. With new incinerators still being approved and contracts being drawn up for the next twenty-thirty years, there are only two sources for the fuel they need to burn – waste that currently goes to recycling, or imported waste.

Unfortunately, the government (in response to my questions) recently stated that:

“The detailed terms of waste incineration contracts are a matter for the contracting parties.”

Also, in relation to monitoring CO2 emissions from incineration and local authority action on climate change:

“The EA does not assess (nor place any limits on) the actual amount of CO₂ emitted by the plant and municipal waste incinerators are not covered by the European Union’s Emissions Trading System.”

“The Government does not monitor CO₂ produced from waste at local authority level.”

See questions and answers here: https://members.parliament.uk/member/4297/writtenquestions?page=1#expand-1241473