Local Labour candidate has spoken out against the option of an
incincerator to deal with Bristol's waste. Paul Smith said,
"The council has not yet made a decision on the technology it plans
to use to deal with its residual waste. As someone who works
in the field of waste management I know that incineration is the
worst option. The Lib Dems are also backing a poor option for
dealing with waste. Much more can be done to reduce Bristol's
waste and to improve recycling, re-use and composting, indeed some
of the new technologies promoted by the Government are a form of
composting."
below is a copy of Paul's submission to the council meeting
 I am speaking as Chief Executive of the Furniture Re-use
Network and Director of the Reconomy CIC a partnership body
involving national third sector bodies involved in recycling,
re-use and composting.
I am pleased that the council is having a debate about waste,
however our view is that there is no such thing as waste only
resources which are not being properly deployed. This philosophy
has informed states and councils that have adopted ‘Zero Waste’
strategies, seeking to deploy these resources in the most effective
way. Needless to say this does not include mass burn incineration
(even if it is spun as ‘energy from waste’).
Unfortunately the items best suited to feeding incinerators are
those that items that are also can be effectively, re-used,
recycled or composted namely: plastics, green waste, food waste,
wood, fabrics, furniture and furnishings.
Many local authorities in Britain are seeking to maximise
recycling, re-use and composting, engaging communities and the
third sector. Strangely Bristol is the home of the Community
Recycling Network, the Furniture Re-use Network, the national
specialist consultancy Resource Futures and Reconomy CIC but
remains one of the most backward in the country in engaging
voluntary sector expertise in waste management and reduction.
The ex-Avon authorities are among a minority in England that does
not pay recycling credits to third sector recyclers and re-users.
Somerset and Gloucestershire pay these credits. Waste Management
locally is focussed on large scale processes and not
community-based, resource efficient activities.
Community organisations could, with the right support:
• Collect, recycle or re-use bulky waste
• Develop community based composting facilities (including
solutions for tower blocks)
• Re-use paint and solvents
• Recycle difficult materials such as mattresses and carpet
• Provide a nappy laundering service (the one in Bristol closed
last year)
• Re-use items at a community level such as clothing (for example
school uniform re-use projects), toys etc
All these services exist in other parts of the UK but not in
Bristol. We want to see more ambition and innovation in Bristol and
the West of Englands waste strategy.
Lets bias our approach to zero waste and not mass burn.
Paul Smith
Chief Executive
Furniture Re-use Network
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