The resources and waste sector has responded to BBC analysis which found waste incineration is the dirtiest way the UK generates power.
The BBC found that Energy-from-Waste (EfW) generated the same amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for each unit of energy as coal power, based on five years of data from across the country.
The BBC said its analysis used data on actual pollution levels recorded by operators at their waste incinerators.
The vital role of EfW facilities is to treat societal waste left over after recycling.
The Environmental Services Association (ESA) contested the findings, saying it is “incorrect” to compare EfW GHG emissions with other forms of energy generation without accounting for the emissions it avoids by diverting waste from landfill.
The ESA said the development of EfW has been “complementary” to increasing recycling rates and “stagnant recycling rates” are only indicative of a failure to develop recycling policies.
While CIWM (The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) said the BBC’s analysis raised some important issues, it “omits a number of key factors”.
A Defra spokesperson told the BBC: “We are committed to cutting waste and moving to a circular economy so that we reuse, reduce and recycle more resources and help meet our emissions targets.”
CIWM reaction
In a statement reacting to the analysis, CIWM said the first function of the resource and waste sector is to manage, treat and dispose of waste.
“EfW facilities are designed as a transition technology, with an average expected operational life of 25-30 years,” CIWM said.
“This should enable regulatory and market development to incentivise and enable waste prevention and recycling measures to improve overall resource efficiency.
“The sector has a clear roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, which includes measures to remove fossil fuel packaging (currently non-recyclable plastics) from EfW inputs, improve plant efficiency and deliver carbon capture, utilisation and storage for EfW facilities.”
CIWM called for Extended Producer Responsibility, Consistent Recycling collections, Plastics Packaging Tax, and the Emissions Trading Scheme for EfW plants, to be quickly implemented to “significantly increase” recycling levels.
EfW “complementary” to increasing recycling: ESA responds
“The vital role of EfW facilities is to treat societal waste left over after recycling,” the ESA said in a statement.
“It is important to point out that neither local or national policy prioritises the use of waste as a fuel to generate energy over other sources.
“The energy generated is simply a beneficial by-product of treating waste, which is a vital societal function.
“EfW facilities simply deal with the waste left over. If we want to increase recycling we must encourage and incentivise more sustainable design choices; investment in recycling services and behaviour change and, importantly, corresponding market demand for recycled materials.”
Local authorities “locked into” burning waste
The BBC said that the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents local authorities in England and Wales, expressed concerns that contracts with EfW facilities have left councils fearful of fines for breach of contract if they explore more environmental solutions, such as recycling.
Freedom of Information requests by the BBC found “dozens” of local authorities had clauses which require a minimum amount of waste to be sent to EfW facilities.
After reviewing the BBC’s analysis, Professor Keith Bell, who sits on the UK Climate Change Committee, said: “If the current government is serious about clean power by 2030 then… we cannot allow ourselves to be locked into just burning waste.”
However, the ESA said that the idea councils are locked into contracts which incentivise them to suppress recycling is “misplaced” and distracts from the national failure to develop a more circular economy.
“The ability of EfW and recycling to successfully co-exist alongside each other is also evidenced by the fact that the majority of the top ten councils with the highest recycling rates also make use of EfW to treat the left-over waste,” the ESA said.
“Recycling sorting and collection activity always takes place upstream of treating waste through EfW – which points to upstream failures in recycling.”
SUEZ recycling and recovery UK responds
Tim Otley, National Energy Director for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, told Circular Online: “SUEZ recycling and recovery UK is active across the waste hierarchy from reuse and repair, through to recycling, energy-from-waste and landfill.
“We pride ourselves on fostering positive relationships with our customers with a flexible approach that adapts to the inevitably changing needs of a community and the waste it generates over the life of a long-term contract.
“The contract extensions we have agreed with our customers, including two that incorporate operating EfW facilities for Kirklees Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, are testament to this collaborative approach.
“The EfW facilities that SUEZ operates provide an essential service, managing the residual waste left after households have separated out their recycling, on behalf of our local authority customers.
“In many cases facilities also serve the wider community, accepting waste from businesses in the surrounding area and from other local authorities in the region that do not have their own EfW facility.”
Calls for ban on new Energy-from-Waste contracts
As part of its 2023 Progress Report to Parliament, the Climate Change Committee called for a moratorium on additional EfW capacity.
The National Infrastructure Commission’s annual progress report recommended the UK Government ban new long-term contracts for EfW plants without carbon capture plans.
The report said that despite clear long-term targets, recycling rates have stagnated for over a decade and a growing reliance on incineration has limited progress on reducing GHG emissions.
