About: burning waste

Worries mount over waste incineration as ‘renewable energy’

A coalition of green NGOs and industries in the business of recycling, chemicals, forestry and the bio-based economy wrote to policymakers on Thursday (3 May), urging them to prevent incineration of unrecyclable waste from being counted as renewable energy.

Renewables law could lock EU into costly burning technologies

The EU Council’s position on the recast Renewable Energy Directive (REDII), if adopted, could lock EU member states into expensive and polluting waste-to-energy technologies that contradict the circular economy and climate objectives, writes Janek Vahk.

Lithuania plans to burn more waste – but does it have enough?

Lithuania plans to build more waste incineration plants, which the government says could lead to reducing energy bills – but politicians and NGOs worry that it would jeopardise recycling targets as not enough waste is being produced.

Waste: Subsidies make it cheaper to burn than recycle

The growing trend of burning waste for energy undermines Europe’s recycling efforts by diverting waste to incinerators instead of having it reused or recycled, thereby defeating the purpose of the Commission's well-meant directive on minimising waste.