UK Government To Crack Down On Waste Incinerators With Stricter Standards For New Builds

30th December 2024

Almost half of all waste collected by local authorities in 2022/23 was incinerated with resources that could be recycled being lost.

New waste incinerators will only receive planning approval if they meet strict new local and environmental conditions, the Government has today announced (Monday 30th December 2024).

Over the last 14 years, England has seen recycling rates stall, meaning too much waste is dealt with through incineration or thrown in landfill. Almost half of all waste (49%) collected by local authorities in 2022/23 was incinerated, with just 40% recycled.

Under new plans, the government will only back projects if they meet strict local and environmental conditions.

Projects will need to maximise efficiency and support the delivery of economic growth, net zero and the move to a circular economy.
Marking a significant step in the government's approach to dealing with waste in a way that works for communities and is fit for the future, and delivering on the Plan for Change, developers will have to demonstrate that their projects will help lower the amount of non-recyclable waste sent to landfill or enable the replacement of older, less efficient plants.

They will also need to outline that new projects are built Carbon Capture ready, once the requirements come into force. They will also need to show how they will make use of the heat they produce. This includes plants that produce fuels that can be used to decarbonise other sectors, such as aviation.

New waste incinerators will also need to meet our existing high standards on air pollution and other environmental impacts to receive an environmental permit. These impacts are closely monitored and regulated by the Environment Agency in England. This is a vital step in addressing communities’ concerns about environmental impacts and maximising the benefits from these facilities.

New evidence - published today in the Residual Waste Infrastructure Capacity Note – shows that tougher new requirements for proposed waste incinerators will not negatively affect the country’s capacity to process waste and should decrease the amount sent to landfill.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:

For far too long, the nation has seen its recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning household waste, rather than supporting communities to keep resources in use for longer. > That ends today, with clear conditions for new energy from waste plants – they must be efficient and support net zero and our economic growth mission, before they can get the backing needed to be built.

This is another vital step on the pathway to a circular economy, where we reduce waste to landfill and boost the economy, while also ensuring those facilities maximise the benefits to communities. This will also help us deliver on our Plan for Change in a decade of national renewal.

Charlotte Rule, Head of Climate and Energy Policy at the Environmental Services Association (ESA), said:

The ESA’s long-held view is that recovering energy and materials from waste left over after recycling is an important part of a circular economy but development of Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities must be carefully balanced against current and future capacity needs, which this new Residual Waste Infrastructure Capacity Note supports.

Increasing recycling rates, and developing carbon capture as well as district heat networks across the UK’s EfW fleet, will all play a role supporting our sector’s target to decarbonise by 2040 and contribute to UK net-zero goals, so we welcome Government’s support in these areas.

The nation is reaching a point where national waste treatment capacity is sufficient to manage the total amount of non-recyclable waste households produce.

Current projections suggest that by 2035, energy from waste plants will be capable of dealing with 18.8 million tonnes of residual waste. However, with the delivery of the government’s collection and packaging reforms – including Simpler Recycling, the Deposit Return Scheme, Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and the transition to a circular economy, the country will only need to manage 17.6 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste by 2042. This means there is a limited need for the development of further waste incinerators plants.

While there is a need to minimise waste incineration, it remains a better option than throwing rubbish into landfill. Incineration facilities provide around 3% of the UK’s total energy generation and can support decarbonising heating our homes and businesses, helping to cut bills for customers.

Investment in waste incineration through exporting heat and delivery of Carbon Capture can help to enhance the efficiency of existing infrastructure and support the government’s Clean Energy Superpower Mission.

The government will explore how it can ensure that those limited new plants are capable of exporting heat from day one and are incentivised to export heat as soon as possible after commencing operation.

Those developing energy recovery facilities (at all stages in the process) are encouraged to consider forecast changes to future capacity, demand, and the Government’s circular economy opportunities in light of the evidence published today.