waste incinerator

 

Labour is facing backlash over plans to construct more than 40 new waste incinerators across the UK, a move critics call the “dirtiest” form of energy production.

The proposed facilities, designed to burn household and commercial rubbish, are stirring controversy for their environmental and health impacts, particularly in economically deprived areas where they are often sited.

Currently, there are approximately 50 operational waste incinerators in England. However, new data reveals that an additional 41 incinerators have been granted planning permission. Of these, 27 have received environmental permits, with several already under construction. These plants, some capable of burning over 500,000 tonnes of waste annually, have alarmed environmental campaigners and local communities alike.

Ministers are expected to announce new restrictions on incinerators as public concern intensifies. Campaigners are urging the government to revoke permits for incinerators not yet under construction and impose a moratorium on new projects.

Shlomo Dowen, from the UK Without Incineration Network, the campaign group which collated the figures on projects in the pipeline, said: “There are already far too many waste incinerators across the UK, meaning that most of what is burned is material that could and should have been recycled or composted.

“For every tonne of plastic that is incinerated, more than two tonnes of carbon dioxide are being released, as the carbon in the plastic combines with oxygen in the air. It makes incineration a significant source of greenhouse gases.”

He said there were also health concerns over the pollutants being released by the country’s incinerators. “People’s health is being jeopardised for no justifiable reason,” he said.

In the 2022-23 period, 12.1 million tonnes of waste—49% of all local authority-collected rubbish in England—was incinerated. If the proposed incinerators become operational, more than half of England’s council-collected waste could be burned, undermining Labour’s vision for a “circular economy.” This approach emphasises waste reduction, recycling, and extending the lifecycle of products.

Scientists have warned that incineration poses a significant threat to the climate. A BBC analysis found that waste incineration produces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to coal power per unit of energy generated. This is especially concerning given that the UK’s last coal power station ceased operations in September.

Scotland and Wales have already banned new incinerator projects due to environmental concerns. The Conservative Party also pledged in its last election manifesto to halt the construction of new waste incinerators.

The proposed incinerators span various regions, including Dorset, Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, and West Yorkshire. In the northeast, Teesside has become a hotspot for planned incinerators, including a controversial project at Grangetown Prairie.

Tristan Learoyd, an independent councillor for Redcar and Cleveland, wrote to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband urging him to block the scheme.

Miliband’s department responded by saying that it was for “local planning authorities to consider their waste treatment capacity needs at local level and to factor national policy measures into their considerations”.

Learoyd accused proponents of “greenwashing,” arguing that incinerators undermine recycling efforts and exacerbate global warming.

“Councils are offloading their waste to one of the poorest areas of the country to be burned,” he said. He describes the schemes as “carbon emissions madness”.

In Dorset, British Olympic athletes training at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy have threatened to leave their site over plans for a £150 million incinerator approved by the Labour government in September, despite local opposition. Concerns include air pollution from plant emissions and increased lorry traffic.

Laura Baldwin, 44, who trains at the academy and competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, said: “Labour says it wants to decarbonise the power grid by 2030, but this plant will pump out 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. It makes a farce of net zero.”

Public Health England maintains that modern, well-managed incinerators pose minimal risks to public health, but acknowledges the impossibility of completely ruling out adverse effects.

Nick Ireland, leader of Dorset Council, criticised the government’s decision, stating it ignored widespread local opposition citing environmental, economic, and health risks. Campaigners recently won a high court review of the decision, and the council has called on Environment Secretary Steve Reed to intervene.

In Cambridgeshire, another contentious project on an industrial estate in Wisbech has drawn significant criticism. The Environment Agency granted it a permit in May, despite concerns about the area’s inadequate infrastructure to support one of Europe’s largest waste-to-energy plants. Virginia Bucknor, a member of Wisbech Without Incineration, highlighted the hundreds of lorry movements the project would generate each week as a key issue.

“The impact will be catastrophic,” said Bucknor. “It’s quite extraordinary it was approved.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are committed to cutting waste and moving to a circular economy so that we re-use, reduce and recycle more resources and help meet our emissions targets.

“The Environment Agency only grants a permit if it is satisfied operators are taking steps to minimise emissions and meeting strict emission limits. We are considering the role waste incineration will play as we decarbonise and grow the economy.”

Supporters of incinerators argue they have helped reduce landfill waste while providing about 3% of the UK’s energy generation capacity. However, critics contend that their environmental and social costs far outweigh their benefits. As debates continue, the future of waste incineration in the UK remains uncertain, with campaigners pushing for more sustainable alternatives to manage the country’s waste crisis.

 

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