Will EfW facilities have an adverse effect on recycling rates?
Evidence from Europe, where EfW has been in operation for many years, demonstrates that high levels of recycling are consistent with EfWs. The graph above shows that in many European nations EfW / Incineration runs alongside recycling rates which are significantly higher than in the UK.
In implementing our waste management strategy, arc21 has deliberately introduced EfW at a later stage to ensure that it would not inhibit the development of a stronger recycling culture.
Recycling rates throughout arc21 have increased every year since we published our Waste Management Plan - up from just 7.5% in 1999 to over 39% today.
Our target is to increase recycling and composting rates to at least 50% - a level which is not incompatible with operating an EfW facility. For example, the Swiss recycle 50% and send 50% to EfW while the Swedish figures are 48% and 47% respectively.
