Burning waste could provide energy to heat half a million homes

BURNING household rubbish could produce enough energy to heat half a million homes, researchers concluded in a report that has been welcomed by the Department for Environment.

Turning the country’s 27.5 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste into energy would be a more eco-friendly option than sending it to landfill or for overseas export, the report from the Policy Connect think tank found.

Energy-from-waste plants release carbon emissions and create air pollution, but the process eliminates the potent methane emissions that are released from landfill, while also saving on the carbon emissions required to ship waste overseas. The resulting energy can also displace polluting fossil fuels.

With the addition of carbon capture technology – in which the emissions are captured and stored for other uses – and ensuring plastics are removed and recycled, the report, which was backed by 12 cross-party MPS, says burning rubbish is the “safest, cheap- est and most environmentally responsible solution”.

The report’s authors calculate that the UK will avoid 4million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by 2030 if the country sends 80 per cent of its residual waste to be incinerated for energy.

The industry could also divert some of the £280million spent by the UK shipping “non-recyclable” waste abroad to domestic infrastructure investment and jobs, the report says.

Jonathan Shaw, the chief executive of Policy Connect, said: “To hit our net zero emissions targets we cannot afford to let the rubbish in our wheelie bins go to waste.”

He called for a more “Scandinavian” approach to rubbish; Sweden sends less than 1 per cent of its household waste to landfill. In the UK, 40 per cent of non-recyclable waste is sent to landfill. Meanwhile recycling rates have largely plateaued around 45 per cent in recent years.

There are currently 48 rubbish-burning plants in the UK and 10 more under construction, but less than a quarter of them have the capacity to turn the waste into energy.

The report highlights the example of the Eastcroft plant in Nottingham, which provides heat and power to 34,000 local homes and businesses including an ice rink, Nottingham Trent University, and a shopping centre.

Commenting on the report, Rebecca Pow, the environment minister, said: “Now more than ever, it is crucial we move from a ‘throw away’ society to one that always looks at waste as a valuable resource. We want to be a world leader in tackling this challenge, which is why we’re transforming our waste system to ensure products are built to last and easier to recycle or repair.”