Incineration claims slammed

Claims that incineration of waste produces green energy have been slammed in a new independent report published this week. The study, conducted for Friends of the Earth, finds that an average British ‘waste to energy’ incinerator creates around one third more greenhouse gases for the electricity they produce than gas-fired power stations. The research also predicts that the situation will get worse in the future, as the fossil-fuel content in waste increases.

Various leading waste incinerator organisations have cited the process as a valuable source of renewable and clean energy in their literature.

"The Government and waste industry must stop peddling the myth that waste incineration is green energy,” said Friends of the Earth's Senior Waste Campaigner, Dr Michael Warhurst.

“Incinerators can generate electricity, but they produce more climate emissions than a gas-fired power station. The Government must make it clear that they will not support the building of such polluting plants. Using these incinerators to produce energy will undermine Government attempts to tackle climate change. Ministers must back truly renewable energy sources instead."
The research has been presented to MPs this week.