From Steve Le Cheminant.
AS some Islanders and all States Members are aware, Total Waste have been attempting to persuade the States to give consideration to their proposal for a waste management strategy for Jersey.
Since first contacting the States last summer we were assured, and were still under the impression, that our proposal was too late, as contracts had been signed and a new incinerator was days away from the start of construction. It would appear that this is in fact not the case.
We recently resubmitted our proposal and included extra options to account for the zero gate charge required. Our proposal would realise full Islandwide kerbside recycling. It would offer recycling of commercial waste, green waste and food waste along with sewage plant solids, and manure would be used to produce electricity and hot water. This would make the entire facility self-sufficient with zero (net negative) emissions.
Recycling rates would start at 90% of the entire waste arising in the Island, other than inert waste and scrap metal, which are already well catered for. Minimal change to existing infrastructure would be required.
Many materials would be fully recycled in the Island. This would create employment and reduce road traffic and shipping. It would also contain all waste operations on one site.
Refuse and commercial waste would be separated into separate fractions – cardboard, paper, plastic film, plastic containers, wood, textiles, metals, glass and organics.
We feel that incineration in today’s climate is immoral and arrogant. It is unbelievable that the States consider the earth’s finite resources are theirs to destroy. As other Third World refuse disposal facilities carry on burning, materials get scarcer and increase in value.
One Senator claimed that the facility would require too much land (five acres) and he would never support it. How much area is currently used to bury toxic ash? Is this land rendered unusable for decades to come? Or can what is under the surface be forgotten and the land sold as prime real estate?
The facility would only produce 1,000 to 2,000 tonnes a year of non-recyclable materials. As technology improved, this figure would reduce as more materials could be reused.
We originally offered to finance the facility ourselves and charge an £80 per tonne gate charge. Since being informed that no charge can be made for waste disposal, we re-evaluated the project and submitted a modified proposal to account for this and changes in economic conditions since the initial 2007 approach.
We are confident that our tender, for construction and running of the plant with a 20-year contract for all the Island’s waste, will not be beaten.
This project has the potential to transform Jersey from a major polluter to a world-class example of what can be achieved with modern waste management.
Needless to say, the capital costs would be a fraction of a new incinerator.
Le Caillou,
Le Clos,
Torteval, Guernsey.
