Incineration or Something Sensible?

The UK Government and local authorities are currently looking at burning more waste from households, shops and offices in incinerators.  Superficially, the idea of burning waste to generate useful energy sounds environmentally sensible, and this is certainly how the new incinerators are being marketed by their operators.  Friends of the Earth, however, opposes the incineration of waste (including incineration with energy recovery) for three main reasons: •incineration wastes valuable resources •incineration pollutes •incineration is bad for climate change. This briefing looks at these reasons in depth, at some of the financial and employment implications, and at Friends of the Earth’s recommendations as to the way forward.

Incineration or Something Sensible?