The director of external affairs claims that at the moment “nobody but an idiot” would choose to build treatment facilities unless they could guarantee feedstock through long-term local authority contracts.
” The change will happen in 2010 when it will cost 40-50 a tonne at landfill and that will trigger value in new technology “
– Peter Jones, Biffa
Mr Jones' comments came at the launch of the Sustainable Transport of Resource and Waste report in London yesterday.
Mr Jones commented that landfill is still the cheapest option for disposing of waste and because of that it would remain as the preferred option for the time being.
Change
“Nobody but an idiot would go out and buy a new technology, the only case where they would is through long term local authority contracts where the state takes on the capability to provide material.
“The change will happen in 2010 when it will cost 40-50 a tonne at landfill and that will trigger value in new technology. Around 2010-2011 will be a good time to be around,” he added.
The STRAW report has been two years in the writing and puts forward a blueprint for a new network of waste management facilities. It also then looks at the transport infrastructure that would be needed to support the facilities.
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Mr Jones pointed out that around 30 million tonnes of waste will need to be transported – either for recycling or for energy – which is the same amount as the food industry transports in a year.
The STRAW report, which was put together by Robin Curry of EnviroCentre, estimates that by 2020 around 10% of the UK's energy could be supplied from refuse derived fuel – which marks a major decrease in the country's reliance on fossil fuels.
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