28th September 2006

Greens say: Don't waste 'waste opportunity'


The first stage of the County Council's  consultation on how it deals with our waste has ended. Stroud District Green party were among those who raised concerns.

Cllr Philip Booth, a Green party District councillor in Stroud, who was one of the three authors of the report, said: "This consultation will lead to developing the County's Waste Core Strategy for the next 20 years and is a great opportunity to make a big contribution to reducing climate change and energy consumption - it is important we get it right."

Rosie Reed, a Green party member and one of the other authors of the report added: "We really must end landfill as soon as possible: it has a hugely negative impact on the environment and our climate. Some Councils and companies are taking the radical step of aiming for zero waste. Gloucestershire could join them. It is certainly a challenge but could be done by maximising waste reduction, re-use and recycling. There is much more we could do like significantly improving our composting rates, supporting more local reuse of building materials, tackling supermarkets on their over-packaging, promoting more second-hand furniture and more."

Waste facilities in AONB and incineration must be opposed

Rosie Reed who lives in Frampton Mansell, said: "Two particular concerns that this report raises are the possibility of major waste facilities being located in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a move towards incineration of our waste. Both these suggestions must be opposed. Incineration is no solution to waste: any energy produced is minimal and it leads to greenhouse and acid gas emissions, carcinogenic dioxins and toxic ash residues that threaten the health of the local population and the environment. Plus incinerators discourage moves to recycle and Councils can be fined if they don't produce enough waste to feed these monsters (i)."

Rosie Reed said: "As a society we overconsume, and the waste produced by this consumption is a hugely inefficient use of resources. It is time we got to grips with this and ended Britain's reputation in terms of waste as being the 'dirty man' of Europe."

Note:

(i) There maybe a case for very limited pyrolosis if we have maximised reduction, reuse and recyclying of our waste.