BURNING rubbish could generate a sixth of Britain's energy within 20 years, a report said yesterday.

Rubbish left after removing what can be recycled could be turned into pellets and burned in power stations, according to the report by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Renewable Power Association (RPA).

They claimed that using half of the 30 million tons of household rubbish sent to landfill in England last year could have lit two million homes.

Friends of the Earth, however, said that the plastic in the waste would be better used as landfill than burned to release greenhouse gases.

Peter Gerstrom, of the ICE, said it was not in Britain's interest to let ``enough energy to power the population of Wales and Northern Ireland every year'' go to waste through burial.

``We are not generating enough renewable electricity, which means that Britain will not reach the EU renewables directive target of producing 10 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2010,'' he said.

``Year on year Britain is producing more waste. Waste into energy will have environmental benefits by reducing the rubbish mountain.

``This will boost our environmental performance by increasing our use of renewable power and reduce the UK's reliance on landfill.''

The report comes as the Department of Trade and Industry considers letting producers of energy from waste qualify as producers of renewable energy.

Gaynor Hartnell, of the RPA, said: ``Producing energy from waste after recycling targets have been achieved is environmentally sound. It also helps with energy security, through reducing dependence on energy imports.''

But Claire Wilton, of Friends of the Earth, warned that ``burning waste is not a magic solution'' to climate change.

She said: ``It's almost always better for the environment to recycle our rubbish than burn it.''

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