Incineration will cost much more than other forms of waste management
Many local authorities have fallen prey to a commonly-held myth that incineration is the only way to avoid huge fines for failing to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill. It is simply not true.
The first thing to realise is that potential fines only apply to the biodegradable portion of municipal waste, i.e. the portion that can produce methane if it is landfilled. Currently around 55% of municipal waste in rural authority areas is biodegradable. Biodegradable waste consists mostly of food scraps, garden waste, paper and card. Up to 90% of this can be treated by composting and recycling, which is much better for the environment and human health. There is no need for incineration.
As for non-biodegradable waste, more and more of this is becoming recyclable – such as Tetrapak drink cartons and batteries. Other things such as plastic bags, fruit punnets and other plastic packaging, which amount to as much as 12% of municipal waste, could be recycled if there was the political will to do so. However if there are shiny new incinerators all over Scotland, that is where they will go instead. Friends of the Earth state that recycling saves much more energy than can be recovered by incineration - five times as much in the case of plastic.
According to WRAP (the Government’s waste advisory service), incineration is by far the most expensive option for treating waste – costing local authorities up to £136 per tonne (see WRAP gate fees report 2008). Furthermore experts such as Peter Jones, who currently advises the Mayor of London on waste issues, confidently predict that incineration will soon be brought within the scope of the European Emissions Trading Scheme, adding considerably to the overall cost.
As a result, incineration would cost local authorities several millions of pounds more than they currently spend each year on landfill. This would add considerably to the average Council Tax bill, and remove a great chunk of funding each year from recycling projects that rely on Landfill Tax Credits.
The correct thing for local authorities and the Government to do is reject waste incineration altogether, and instead opt for increased recycling, which, in turn, will steadily reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill.