The Trust has recently researched and properly approved the plan to extend the existing landfill site owned by the County Council at United Downs. This led to debate, and some unease at the loss of habitat, by members of Executive. The idea of incinerating waste to produce energy seems an attractive alternative but there are still many problems to be resolved.
The UK currently generates 371 million tonnes of waste per annum. In order to manufacture goods we consume ten tonnes of raw materials to generate one tonne of product. Seventy per cent of our waste currently goes into landfill sites. Landfills destroy habitat and generate both toxic leachate and the powerful greenhouse gas methane. Incineration reduces our wastes but still leaves 30% ash, which goes to landfill, this time complete with toxic dioxins and heavy metals concentrated into it, and combustion produces the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and possibly other, including acid rain, gases.
Once established, a commercial incineration site must be kept running to remain economically viable, so it may be necessary to import waste - such as during the winter months in Cornwall!
Recycling, sadly, undercuts incineration by removing the combustible materials, but probably 80% of waste could be recycled.
Other environmental pressure groups have prioritised their ideas in this way:
