Waste Disposal (Hansard, 30 March 1994)

§ Mr. Atkins

In its report on incineration published last year, the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution concluded that there are significant environmental benefits in integrated waste management schemes incorporating waste to energy. It recommended that such schemes should play an increasingly important role in our future waste management practices. The Government broadly welcome the conclusions of the Royal Commission in this respect and we are preparing a detailed response which I hope will be completed in the summer.

In the meantime, the Government are taking steps further to encourage the development of incineration with energy recovery in the United Kingdom. In general, waste to energy schemes should be operated on a normal commercial basis. However, the Government recognise the environmental benefits of using waste as a renewable fuel source and so support waste to energy schemes through the non-fossil fuel obligation, under which operators can be paid a premium for the electricity they generate. A third NFFO order was announced last July. In addition, my Department is currently reviewing the guidance given to local authorities on tendering for waste disposal contracts. The updated guidance will re-emphasise the importance of taking environmental factors into account in that process, such as the benefits of the waste to energy option in appropriate locations. We hope to consult on draft guidance later this year.

We have no plans to revise our target for local authorities to recycle 25 per cent. of household waste by 2000 to include targets for waste from energy.