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Oxfordshire narrows its shortlist of waste companies but the
debate continues
On 20 December 2007, Oxfordshire County Council announced that
it has narrowed its shortlist of companies who are competing for its
residual waste treatment contract. No contracts have yet been signed
but
all the companies are reported to be proposing some form of
incineration. Oxford Friends of the Earth are calling for the Council
to
choose Mechanical Biological Treatment and high rates of recycling.
There will be a debate at the Oxfordshire County Council in County
Hall,
Oxford on Tuesday 8 January 2008.
A spokesperson for Oxford Friends of the Earth, Andrew Wood, said
"Oxfordshire County Council won't be signing any residual waste
treatment contracts until 2009 at the earliest. While the current
shortlist of companies may all be proposing incineration, we believe
this will change as the financial costs and liabilities are clarified.
Mechanical Biology Treatment, using anaerobic digestion, and high
recycling is a better choice for Oxfordshire's environment and its low
carbon economy".
Oxfordshire County Council began the procurement of its residual waste
treatment contract in April 2007.
Oxfordshire had a overall recycling rate of 38% for 2006/7. From
spring
2009 it will move to bi-weekly collections of refuse throughout the
county, and the collection of segregated food waste which may be
industrially composted or treated with anaerobic digestion. This is
expected to increase rates of recycling to about 45-50% of household
waste. Today in the Flanders region of Belgium, recycling rates are
over 70%.
Research for Friends of the Earth shows that Mechanical Biological
Treatment, using anaerobic digestion produces the least greenhouse gas
pollution; it produces renewable energy; and it recovers materials for
recycling including metals and plastics. There are over 70 MBT
facilities in operation in Europe, with over 40 MBT facilities
operating in Germany. In the UK there are 6 MBT plants operating. Many
other councils in Britain have chosen to build some
form
of MBT including councils for Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lancashire, and
elsewhere.
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