Leeds residents have signalled their support to get energy from a waste facility. Residents say it is right way for the city to deal with waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
Earlier this year, as part of a major consultation programme, Leeds residents were invited to have their say over the council's plans for dealing with waste in the city over the next 30 years.
The council warned that radical steps must be taken to drastically reduce the amount of waste the city disposes of in landfill, a disposal method that releases methane gas which is considered to be a main contributing factor in global warming.
Nearly 3,000 people responded to a survey which revealed widespread support (84%) for an energy from waste facility to deal with the waste that the council can't recycle.
Developing an alternative waste treatment facility, such as an energy from waste plant, alongside encouraging more households to recycle and initiatives to minimise waste production are proposals which are included in the council's draft plan.
The council has proposed a renewable energy from waste plant as a preferred method for dealing with the waste that has not been reduced, re-used or recycled. This involves a process of burning waste under tightly controlled conditions to supply power to the national grid and heat houses and businesses.
The council's ultimate vision is for Leeds to become a 'zero waste' city where through a range of measures we reduce, re-use, recycle and recover value, sending no waste to landfill.
Councillor Steve Smith, executive board member responsible for waste management, said: "We are grateful to the thousands of residents who contacted us with their views about how we should deal with the city's waste. This feedback has helped us shape our strategy and future plans to address the challenges we face in the future.
"Reducing, re-using and recycling waste remain our highest priorities and we are aiming to double our current recycling performance. We have recently won a national award for our recycling achievements and recycle a greater percentage of our waste than any other similar sized city in the country.
"However we recognise that increased recycling alone will not enable us to meet the new targets on landfill. We have, therefore, considered how technology can play a part in dealing with the waste that isn't recycled or re-used, in a way that is safe, efficient and minimises our impact on the environment."
It is estimated that people across the city were provided with over 800,000 opportunities to participate in the exercise, via various methods including citizens panels, community group questionnaires, an online survey, presentations at area committees, through advertising and media coverage, awareness campaigns in schools and leafleting in shopping centres.
The council's waste strategy covers proposing measures for reducing and re-using rubbish, increasing recycling and working with the public to raise awareness about waste issues. It also highlights energy from waste as the preferred option for treating and disposing of the waste that can not be recycled.
A revised strategy will be considered at Executive Board next month following the original approval of the draft version for public consultation in December 2005.
reprinted with permission from 24dash.com.