Mrs Beckett's views on waste management options came within a wide-ranging speech earlier this week which represented her first comments on waste since being appointed in June. And, while the speech has been seen as encouraging by the waste management industry, some industry observers have expressed reservations about Mrs Beckett's overall commitment to recycling.
Mrs Beckett laid considerable emphasis on new technologies as well as the use of combined heat and power plants (CHP) as providing the solutions to a range of environment problems. Her awareness of these options may have been heightened by the fact she is MP for Derby South, a constitutency which includes the site for a SWERF plant proposed by Brightstar Environmental which operates not as an energy from waste plant in the traditional sense but instead burns waste in a sealed tube.
In her speech Mrs Beckett highlighted the need to reduce business waste and praised wood reprocessor Kronospan for its work to minimise waste.
Disposal methods
The Secretary of State said: “But while we try to cut the level of waste, we also need to tackle how we handle the 400 million tonnes of waste we produce each year. We must substantially increase re-use, recycling and composting. But we must also recognise that we have to face up to some unpalatable decisions and choices that even the pursuit of these policies may require – and also to the recognition that the use of those policies alone may not be enough. There are profound disagreements over disposal methods. We cannot allow ourselves the luxury of too easily closing down our options. I believe we need to come together to face up to the hard choices that will have to be made and for that reason intend to hold a Waste Summit in mid-November, to see if we can agree some shared priorities with our stakeholders. But let me stress with all the force at my command that this discussion will be a means to an end and not an end in itself. It will not be an agreeable day airing our individual or mutual prejudices but the start of a process we need to pursue together.
Rebranded
She continued: “The work I have identified here is exciting, impressive and worthwhile but it stems from work already underway over a number of years. Some of you I know are sceptical about the creation of my new Department. Some suggested we had simply been rebranded, like a baked bean manufacturer who sticks a brighter label – a green label – on his tins, but does nothing to improve the quality and taste of the contents. I think you're wrong. But I also think you must be wrong. We have to make you wrong.
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