UK waste incinerators more likely to be in deprived areas

(Image from Pixabay)

Waste incinerators are three times more likely to be situated in the most deprived and ethnically diverse areas of the UK, raising fears about the impact on air quality and the health of vulnerable people.

Data obtained by Unearthed, the investigative arm of Greenpeace, found that areas in the top 20% for deprivation host nearly one-third of the waste incinerators in the UK. The richest, least ethnically diverse areas are home to less than 10% of incinerators, which are increasingly being used to deal with the UK’s waste.

Meanwhile, recycling rates are falling, with the government likely to miss a target of 50% recycling in 2020. The UK recycling rate was 45.0% in 2018, down from 45.5% in 2017.

Unearthed identified 90 incinerators in the UK, many of which are run by companies such as Viridor, Veolia and Suez. These include energy-from-waste incinerators, hospital waste incinerators and waste wood incinerators. There are also 50 more proposed or in development, according to government data and data collected by the anti-incineration group UKWIN.

Enforcement officers target illegal waste site in Crowland

Enforcement officers are urging waste carriers and traders not to drop off any rubbish at The Streddars site on Hundreds Road in Crowland. During its inspection of the site on 23 July 2020, the Environment Agency discovered piles of illegally dumped waste, including construction and demolition materials, metals, plastics and garden waste. The visit was aimed at gathering evidence and disrupting those believed to be involved in illegal waste activities.

Car taxes need to be raised to help climate, say advisors

Government advisors say ministers should bring forward the date for ending sales of new conventional cars from 2035 to 2032. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) says the chancellor should also consider increasing the tax on gas for home heating. It says the changes should be made as the UK looks to recover from the Covid-19 crisis by creating jobs.

The CCC also recommends the country aim to cut carbon emissions as part of a “green recovery“. It says the government has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change society for the better. A government spokesperson said that tackling climate change should be at the heart of the UK's economic recovery.

Severn Trent Water prosecuted for Shropshire pollution

The company pleaded guilty at Telford Magistrates’ Court to 3 charges:

• Causing sewage to discharge into the Row Brook from the Acton Burnell Treatment Works between November 2014 and May 2016

• Failing to provide a labelled sampling point

• Failing to operate and maintain a grass plot treatment facility

In the case brought by the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water was yesterday fined £800,000 in total (£400,000 on the first and last charge and no separate penalty on the second).

New date agreed for UN climate summit in Glasgow

The COP26 UN summit will now take place between 1 and 12 November next year. It was originally supposed to take place in November 2020. However, it had to be postponed due to the pandemic. Dozens of world leaders will attend the gathering, the most important round of talks since the global Paris Agreement to tackle climate change was secured in 2015.

This year marks the date by which countries are expected to come forward with stronger emissions cuts to meet the goals of the deal. But with countries around the world grappling with coronavirus, and many putting citizens in lockdown, governments have prioritised the immediate global health crisis. Since the pandemic took hold, greenhouse gas emissions have dropped sharply as industry and transport have been curtailed, but experts have warned that pollution will soon bounce back without climate action.