Waste Management.

Thursday, 27 May 2004

Questions (210)

Trevor Sargent

Question:

210 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the way in which category incineration, thermal treatment, waste to energy belongs in terms of reuse, recycling and recovery. [16103/04]

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Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

Government policy on waste management, which is based on the internationally accepted waste hierarchy, recognises the role of thermal treatment, incorporating energy recovery, as one of the mix of instruments involved in the modernisation of our approach to waste management. The issue of whether such a facility comes within the waste framework directive's definition of "recovery" falls to be determined by reference to the particular characteristics of the facility, taking account of relevant European Court of Justice judgments on this issue. In policy terms, the position of thermal treatment, with energy recovery, is well established within the waste hierarchy; after prevention/minimisation, reuse and recycling, it is regarded as an environmentally preferable approach to waste management compared to landfill.