PLYMOUTH’S controversial incinerator has been labelled a ‘disaster for the environment’ as new figures show the amount of waste being brought in from across the county to be burned in the city.
New figures show the Energy from Waste facility, at the edge of Barne Barton, incinerates rubbish trucked in from all over the county, with Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council all using its furnaces.
A reliance on the incinerator – and others at several other facilities in Devon – mean councils across the county are recycling less of the rubbish they collect, and burning far more. Research carried out by the BBC Shared Data Unit says councils around the country are bound into decades worth of contracts with companies to burn black bag waste – even though some experts now say incineration is a “disaster” for the environment.
Plymouth and Torbay are among four councils that went from incinerating nothing at all 10 years ago to burning the majority of their waste.
Recycling in Plymouth has decreased around four percentage points to 34%. Back in 2015, Plymouth City Council recycled 38% of its waste, landfilled 62%, and incinerated nothing. By 2023 it was burning 66% of its waste.
Denne historien er fra October 16, 2024-utgaven av The Herald.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 16, 2024-utgaven av The Herald.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
WE NEED PLAYERS
MUSLIC KNOWS TIME IS TICKING TO FIND REINFORCEMENTS
Young Pilgrims held to a draw
PLYMOUTH Argyle's youngsters took their unbeaten run, in the EFL Youth Alliance League, to 11 games, but only after letting a two-goal lead slip against Cheltenham Town at the Millennium Fields.
Raiders suffer more away day woe ahead of Bears' visit
PLYMOUTH Raiders' struggles on the road continued last weekend losing 95-62 to the Crawley Storm in Sussex.
'High taxes putting tourists off the UK'
HIGH taxes and a lack of investment are deterring tourists from visiting the UK, ministers have been warned.
Guess The Year: When business confidence in the South West was reported to be at an 'all-time low'
THE Herald reported: \"Business confidence in the South West is at an all-time low, with job prospects for the year among the gloomiest in the country.\"
Argyle Women slip back into the relegation zone
PLYMOUTH Argyle suffered a 4-0 defeat to Watford at Langsford Park, Tavistock, in the FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division on Sunday.
Time feels right for Argyle to cash in on star man Whittaker
MORGAN Whittaker has been a superb player for Plymouth Argyle.
New 20mph plan should be able to stand scrutiny
AS a long-time resident of Stoke, a grandparent and parent whose sons went to Stuart Road Primary a quarter of a century ago, I welcome the proposed 20mph scheme.
When a huge explosion killed hundreds
CHRIS ROBINSON RECALLS THE CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF THE AMPHION IN 1796
Search for the stolen babies
IT is a scandal that doesn't bear thinking about - this special follows the astonishing plight of mothers whose babies are believed to have been stolen at birth.