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Coming Soon To A Site Near You! Govt Plans For New Incinerators Slammed

24 Jan 2000

The Government's failure to get Britain to recycle its rubbish could mean a brand new waste incinerator near you, Friends of the Earth (FOE) warns today. FOE has published its predictions for the likely sites of dozens of new incinerators - certain to be fought bitterly by local communities worried about pollution and toxic emissions. (List attached)

The Government's waste strategy [1] [2] failed to plan for adequate recycling facilities.Britain currently recycles less than 8% of household waste, while Switzerland recycles over 50% and the Netherlands achieves over 45%. Earlier this month, Environment Minister,Michael Meacher, admitted in Parliament that the UK's recycling rate is “pathetically low” [3].

Increasing recycling to levels achieved in some other countries would lead to huge reductions in emissions of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, as well as reducing the need for scores of new incinerators. Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to set statutory recycling targets for local authorities and provide them with new money to set up comprehensive recycling schemes.

Sarah Oppenheimer, Waste Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

“Today we publish the bad news for scores of communities across England. The Government has failed to plan for enough recycling of waste. The result is that new incinerators will be needed up and down the country.

Britain has one of the worst recycling records in Europe, yet research now shows that recycling can help tackle climate change as well as protect forests and reduce pollution. If the Dutch and the Swiss can recycle most of their waste, why on earth can't we?”

INCINERATION IN ENGLAND
(Note that Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are drawing up their own waste strategies.)

Existing incinerators

London: Lewisham, Edmonton
North West: Bolton
West Midlands: Coventry, Tyseley, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stoke on Trent
Yorkshire & Humberside: Sheffield
East Midlands: Nottingham
North East: Stockton on Tees, Newcastle (RDF)
Source: Energy from Waste Association

Locations offered Government support

These sites have been offered support for new incinerators through the Government's Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation. This mechanism is intended to support renewable forms of energy. Friends of the Earth does not accept that incineration is renewable and is instead calling for the Government to back true renewables such as wind and solar.

London: Alperton, Dagenham , Battersea
South East: Sittingbourne, Marchwood, Portsmouth, Newhaven,Chineham, Slough, Halling, Canterbury, Chitchester
North West: Ardwick, Stockport, Manchester, Salford, Newton Heath
North East: Blyth, Bedlington , Stockton on Tees expansion
Yorkshire and Humberside: Huddersfield, Doncaster, Hull
South West: Hayle, Exeter, Avonmouth, Castle Cary, Poole
Eastern: Pitsea (2), Rivenhall, Rainham, Fobbing
East Midlands: Boston

Likely future locations

These locations are based on an analysis of likely locations for new incinerators given predicted waste arisings. The number of incinerators built will depend on the size, in this analysis we have assumed an average plant size taking 200,000 tonnes each year. This analysis also generously assumes that 30 per cent of waste will be recycled despite the lack of Government support. It is therefore a conservative analysis.

London: Edmonton expansion, Belverdere
South East: Oxford, High Wycombe, Redhill, Brighton, Allington, Capel.
North West: Carlisle, Blackpool, Preston, Liverpool, Chester, Crewe and Northwich.
West Midlands: Expansions at existing incinerators, new incinerators at Telford, Kidderminster and/or Worcestershire.
Eastern: Norwich, Colchester, Rochford, North Weald, Lakeside.
Yorkshire & Humberside: Northallerton, York, Keighley, Leeds.
South West: Torquay, Barnstaple, Salisbury
East Midlands: Derby, Chesterfield, Grantham, Leicester, Northampton.
North East: Sunderland, Newcastle, Durham.

(1) The recycling figures for 1996 are not yet calculated, but should be significantly higher, and a number of Lander (regions) in Germany recycle over 50%.

EUROPEAN GLASS RECYCLING 1998
Source: FEVE

EUROPEAN STEEL RECYCLING 1998
Source: APEAL

ALUMINIUM CAN RECYCLING 1998, Source: European Aluminium Association

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