Darlington and Sedgefield Liberal Democrats

Background to our Motion

The situation in Darlington

Darlington Borough Council is currently considering a consultants' report into waste management. Its current contracts expire in 2008. The two preferred options in the report are incineration at a site outside the Borough, such as Haverton Hill on Teesside, or incineration at a new facility to be built within the Borough. The consultants were not asked to consider the option of established 'green' technologies. The requirement was to produce quick results to an increased problem of domestic waste.

The Labour Government's drive to incineration

In February 2006, the Labour Government produced its "Review of England's Waste Strategy: a Consultation Document". This Document promotes an increase in incineration (or "Energy from Waste") as its preferred solution to the waste problem. Proven alternative technologies are barely mentioned in the report.

Darlington Liberal Democrats' Concerns

Darlington Liberal Democrats oppose any move towards incineration in our Borough, or the exporting of our waste for incineration elesewhere. We believe the short-term fix provided by incineration does not justify the harmful side-effects of that process. We support the use of greener technologies, allied to an aggressive approach to domestic and commercial recycling.

Incineration to produce electricity is wasteful, in that less than 25% of the waste is converted to electricity, and harmful to the atmosphere, because it produces high levels of greenhouse gas emissions (a fact that industry and government fail to mention). Incineration also produces toxic ash and air pollution, which are harmful to local communities.

We note that the current Liberal Democrat position is that incineration is permitted only where alternative processes are not possible. Our policy does not say what these alternative processes are, nor does it rule out, under any circumstances, the use of incineration.

Darlington Liberal Democrats call upon the Federal Party to toughen up its policy on waste management, in the face of a drive by the Labour Government and Labour-led local authorities towards incineration. We call upon the Party to oppose waste incineraton in all circumstances and to embrace the established alternative technologies of Anaerobic Mechanical-Biological Treatment and Aerobic Mechanical-Biological Treatment.

Our Motion to Federal Conference

"Conference notes with dismay the continued growth in domestic and commercial waste and, that after years of inaction, less than 25% of household waste in England is recycled - one of the lowest rates in Europe.

Conference condemns the Labour Government's, "Waste Strategy: a consultation document" published on Valentine's Day, 2006, which promotes the increased incineration of household and commercial waste and gives no credence to established green technologies.

Conference condemns the cynical attempt by the Labour Government to meet its recycling targets by classing waste incineration as energy recovery, when less than 25% converts to electricity.

Conference asserts that waste incineration is environmentally unacceptable because:

The incineration process creates more carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, such as plastics, than a gas-fired power station - a situation that will only worsen over time due to the predicted increase in plastic waste in domestic rubbish.

The incineration process is inefficient, with less than 25% conversion to electricity and over 75% discharged into the atmosphere. Incineration also destroys valuable and finite resources: resulting in additional energy costs to replace the materials burnt - particularly plastics and glass.

The operation of incineration plants poses serious health risks for local communities due to the production of toxic ash and air pollution.

Local Authorities which commit to incineration are tied to contracts lasting 10 to 25 years, during which time their commitment to recycling is reduced.

Conference notes the existence of cleaner and greener technology: Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) which:

Harnesses naturally occurring processes which have been used in the water industry for sewage treatment for over 100 hundred years,

Uses seperator technology to remove recyclable materials, rather than simply incinerating them,

Produces a high quality liquid fertiliser, a compost-like soil conditoner or pellets of Refuse Derived Fuel used for electricity generation,

Produces methan as a by-product, for use in the generation of electricity for export to the National Grid or to make the site self-sufficient in energy.

Conference repeats its pledge to recycle 60% of household waste and calls upon Government and industry to take urgent steps to reduce residual waste by improved packaging and more recycling.

Conference notes, however, that residual waste will continue to exist for some time and must be dealt with. Conference calls upon the Government to abandon its quick-fix drive towards incineration, and instead to embrace the cleaner and greener alternative of Mechanical-Biological Treatment: a technology which diverts waste from landfill, increases recycling, produces valuable by-products and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.