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A decision by Kaipara District Council to investigate waste-to-energy options as an alternative to landfills has raised the ire of environmental group Greenpeace.
Council decided late last month to investigate options for the establishment of a waste-to-energy plant in conjunction with the councils of Auckland, Whangarei and Far North, Northland Inc, Te Uri o Hau and industry operators.
“We don’t want to leave a legacy of landfills or leachate going into groundwater for generations to come,” deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen says.
“We want to kickstart the conversation with our partners and see what options might be available.”
However, Greenpeace Aotearoa says waste-to-energy options could lock Kaipara into a disastrous deal that will be costly to ratepayers and have negative impacts on people’s health and the climate.
Plastics campaigner Juressa Lee says waste-to-energy poses serious threats to public health and the environment.
“Councils should be supporting waste minimisation and moving toward a circular economy,” she says.
“Cr Larsen wants a modern solution to rubbish and waste disposal, but the only real solution is to make less of it. We don’t need to go searching for techno fixes. We need to shift from a throwaway and single-use culture, and start supporting systems of refill, reuse and repair.
“We’re in a plastic pollution crisis and it is time to turn the tap off. Putting faith in false solutions risks leaving that tap on and fuelling both the plastic pollution crisis and the climate crisis.
“Cr Larsen says he does not want a legacy of landfills and leachate, but the legacy of incineration around the globe is no less bleak. Similar plants elsewhere have been shown to be more polluting than coal, emitting dioxins, mercury, lead, nitrogen oxide and more.
“We need those who are in positions of power and decision-making to act responsibly, supporting a circular economy for the health of the people, the planet and future generations.”
A report on preliminary investigations into the viability of a waste-to-energy plant are due to be presented to a Kaipara council workshop next month.
