Interesting article21 Feb 2018 23:27
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/waste-energy_from_waste_feb15.pdf
Key findings
� Despite efforts to cut waste and increase recycling, more than half of
London�s waste ends up being incinerated. The amount of waste sent
for incineration (known as �Energy from Waste�) has more than
doubled in the last decade, reaching nearly two million tonnes in 2017.
� Burning waste takes materials out of the circular economy, releases
carbon into the atmosphere and may have negative health effects.
� But it also generates electricity, can provide heat for local homes and
businesses, and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill.
� Energy from waste technology (EfW) is here to stay, at least in the
medium term.
� But while London has the EfW capacity to meet demand, it currently
exports approximately over half a million tonnes of waste for
incineration a year.
� London needs to become self-sufficient in managing the waste it
generates, reducing waste sent to EfW as population grows.
� The Mayor intends to regulate London�s energy from waste sector by
limiting its carbon emissions and maximising the energy benefits it can
generate.
� London must begin to limit not only the amount but also the type of
waste it sends to EfW. As London strives to be greener, there are further
steps the Mayor should take to manage the environmental impact of
EfW in the short term.