8 March 2021
Norfolk County Council Burns 180 000 Tonnes of Waste Each Year
Councillor Paul Neale was “shocked and disappointed” this morning when his fears about recycling in Norwich were confirmed.
Councillor Neale, who represents Nelson ward on Norwich City Council asked a formal question at today’s meeting of Norfolk County Council regarding plastic waste, some of which is collected by the city council for disposal by the county.
Councillor Neale asked about plastics such as drinks bottles and yoghurt pots which people in Norwich put in their blue bins to be recycled and he also asked about hard, rigid plastics, such as old garden furniture, which, in the past, could be taken to recycling centres in Norfolk.
Councillor Neale said:
“I was relieved to hear that plastic collected from blue bins at the kerbside is recycled, as we all expect it to be. However, I was shocked and disappointed to hear that rigid plastics, such as in garden furniture or a children’s toy, isn’t recycled, but incinerated. Members of the public do not expect to leave their old items at a recycling centre only for it to be shipped out of the county and burnt. If we’re to play our part in reaching climate neutrality by 2030, as the council has said it wants to do, Norfolk needs to do better than this.”
Commenting on the cabinet meeting itself, which was held virtually, Councillor Neale continued:
“I didn’t think it was acceptable for the cabinet member to offer to write to me with an answer instead of giving it in public, so I asked for more information then and there. I’m not surprised the cabinet member didn’t want to admit to burning plastic. The air quality and resource ramifications of that are shameful.”
Notes:
- Norfolk County Council plans to incinerate waste: https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/news/2020/06/proposed-waste-contract-would-cut-carbon-and-save-2m-each-year
