Lib Dems call for safeguards to ensure recyclable waste not incinerated

Gloucestershire's Liberal Democrats are calling for safeguards to ensure that recoverable recyclable waste is not burnt in the Javelin Park incinerator.

These calls come after the Conservative cabinet member for waste confirmed at July's meeting of the county council that "waste delivered to the facility will not receive any further sorting of recyclate".

The decision not to recover recyclable material was revealed shortly after it had come to light that Amey, working on behalf of Gloucester City Council, had lost 2,000 tonnes of recyclable waste and after a whistle-blower revealed that recyclable materials were being sent to landfill.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, Gloucestershire Lib Dem spokesman for waste, said: "I am extremely concerned to learn that there are no proposals to remove potentially recyclable material from general waste to be burnt at the Javelin Park incinerator.

"Instead, the county council and contractor UBB will rely entirely on district council authorities to ensure that all recyclable materials are separated.

"This is deeply troubling especially after Tory-run Gloucester City Council lost over 2,000 tonnes recycled waste with a value of £246,000.

"Furthermore, a whistle-blower has alleged that more recyclable waste has ended up in landfill.

"Gloucestershire's Liberal Democrats have long opposed the proposals for the Javelin Park incinerator, with one of our greatest concerns being that waste would end up being incinerated rather than recycled where possible.

"As such, we are calling on the county council and UBB to put in place safeguards to ensure recyclable waste does not end up being incinerated where recycling is reasonably achievable."