Going For the 'Burn'?

A 'Dispatches' programme looks at waste incineration in England (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/07/revealed-why-hundreds-of-thousands-of-tonnes-of-recycling-are-going-up-in-smoke). The programme points out that 11% of all rubbish, carefully collected for recycling in England, is actually burned. The percentages are much higher for some councils than others. Burning is carried out in some 48 'energy-from-waste' incinerators, often with their operators having long contracts from councils. These incinerators are not required to have carbon capture. The operators also only have to report any carbon dioxide emissions, generated by burning plastics. The same emissions from burning food and garden waste can be completely ignored. In climate change terms, of course, carbon dioxide is carbon dioxide. It is estimated that, by 2035, incineration will be a more carbon intensive process, even than landfill. If councils are to get anywhere near 'carbon zero' by 2030, some will have to find ways of compensating for the burning of waste in their areas. There is a clear need to rethink the use of incineration in waste disposal. If nothing else, knowledge of the current activity, is likely to deincentivise recyclers.