Energy from waste

Dealing with waste

The main route for municipal waste disposal in the UK has traditionally been landfill. However, to comply with the requirements of the European Landfill Directive, England and Wales must landfill no more than about 12 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste by 2009/10, 8 million tonnes by 2012/13 and 5.5 million tonnes by 2019/20.

We must urgently find affordable ways of managing municipal waste that cannot be recycled, and maximise its use as a resource.
 
We believe that recovering energy from waste can contribute to a balanced energy policy.

Plant applications

Local authorities determine how municipal waste should be managed, including whether energy from waste is needed. They also decide where energy from waste facilities should be built.

We provide our views on the environmental impact of energy from waste plants through input to draft spatial plans. We also respond to consultation on planning applications.