New Website Highlights Rubbish Burning Proposals

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The launch of a recent website has revealed the extent of government incinerator plans – which could see polluting rubbish burners introduced to over 100 communities. Each incinerator will cost many millions of pounds, burn thousands of tonnes of valuable resources and emit huge quantities of greenhouse gases. Despite ministers cutting recycling budgets by 30% they have pledged more than £2 billion to fund the project. Councils claim they need to build incinerators in order to meet UK and EU targets to keep waste out of landfill, but campaigners believe there are greener and cheaper ways of meeting waste targets.

Michael Warhurst, Senior Resource Use Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said, "It's insane for the Government and local councils to waste taxpayers' money on expensive pollution-belching rubbish burners. Incineration is a problem for climate change, not a solution, and will send valuable recyclable resources up in smoke. The Government should abandon this wasteful and old-fashioned technology by stopping all incinerator funding and investing in real green alternatives."

The site was devised by a network of anti-incineration campaigners who want to raise awareness about the government’s proposals. They hope the site will provide invaluable information for both active campaigners and the general public. Shlomo Dowen, Co-ordinator of the UK Without Incineration Network (UK WIN), said, "UK WIN helps anti-incineration campaigners across the country to keep their communities incinerator-free. People who are concerned about incineration should check the map to see if anything is proposed in their neighbourhood, then follow the links provided to link up with other local campaigners."

For more information on planned incinerators near you see: www.ukwin.org.uk/map