FAQs

We know that these new technologies represent change, and that change will raise questions. But it is no longer a question of should we build new waste treatment facilities. The real question we need to ask is how to dispose of our waste without sending it to landfill, while at the same time recovering value from this waste.

Hopefully the previous pages have helped to give an insight into why we have to treat our waste in a more sustainable way. If your questions are not answered here, please let us know.

Why do we need to build new facilities to treat our waste?
We need to treat waste as a resource, not as something we throw away.  New waste treatment facilities will turn food and non-recyclable waste into a source of renewable energy.  By building new facilities we can treat our waste in a sustainable way, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and help to secure the Wales’ energy supply.

Why can’t we just continue to landfill our waste?
Landfill is not a sustainable option.  Space is running out and it is very unlikely that we will be able to build more.  The act of throwing our waste directly into landfill is a waste of all the raw material and energy that went into making the products that we use.  We also create methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is 23 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide, as well as a leachate that can harm our water systems.

Will the new facilities have a negative effect on recycling?
Councils across Wales are committed to recycling 70 percent of our waste. We need to continue recycling as much as we can, as often as we can.  The top five recycling nations in Europe are also the top five users of energy from waste technology.    Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark and France all show that high recycling rates sit comfortably alongside the use of efficient waste treatment facilities. 

What are the preferred technology solutions?
With the exception of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of food waste there are no preferred solutions.  Anaerobic digestion is preferred to IVC because it uses food waste to produce 100 percent renewable energy as well as soil conditioner. 

When it comes to treating the materials that are left over after we have recycled as much as we can, there is no preferred technology.  However, it is widely recognised that treatments that recover both heat and electricity offer the most efficient option.  The higher the efficiency of energy recovery, the more desirable the solution is.

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