16 June 2011  

On Tuesday (14th June), the government unveiled the results of its comprehensive review of waste and announced the moves it would be making towards transforming Britain into a zero waste economy, including the part that anaerobic digestion will play. image expired

Defra chief Caroline Spelman said, “For too long, we’ve lagged behind the rest of Europe, although we are catching up fast. Communities and businesses can help us become a first-class zero-waste economy and unlock the real value in the goods that people no longer want.”

The government’s new policies on waste were announced in conjunction with the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan, which Defra says will enable a thriving industry to grow in England over the next few years, delivering new green jobs as well as new green energy.

Key actions outlined in the plan include guidance on the cost and benefits of AD to developers and local authorities, evidence on the value of digestates, developing skills and training for AD operators, and highlighting ‘best practice’ projects that deliver community benefits. However, neither the AD strategy nor the waste Review dictates to local authorities the best method of organic waste collections. Defra has said it will be up to councils to decide whether or not they wish to run a separate collection scheme for organic waste.

AD offers a local, environmentally sound option for waste management which helps divert waste from landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce renewable energy to power our homes and vehicles.  The reports’ authors point out that farmers can also benefit from the fertiliser produced, returning valuable nutrients to the land and reducing the need for finite and ecologically harmful chemical fertiliser.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said,“Letting rubbish and waste rot in landfill is madness when we can use it to power our homes and cars. We are already making it financially attractive to turn waste into electricity under the Feed-in Tariffs scheme and soon there’ll be similar incentives to generate heat too. The Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan will help us unlock the potential to get more energy from waste to reduce emissions in the fight against climate change.”

Lord Henley and Mr Barker, the authors of the action plan, said they were, “very pleased with the joint work that has been done so far and the way that industry has risen to the challenge.” They added, “We look forward to continuing to work closely with industry to implement the Action Plan.”