A RUBBISH PLAN

• Published date: 16 October 2021
• Publication title: Mix, The

One of the occupational hazards in my job as the communications manager for Wastebusters is popping bubbles. People often come up to me with a happy smile and tell me all about an easy alternative to sending waste to landfill. I feel obliged to pass on the backstory from the zero-waste perspective so that they can see past the mirage. It’s hard to watch the smile drop from their faces, especially if they’ve invested money or their reputation in the bubble.

The latest bubble is ‘‘waste to energy’’ incineration. The story goes that we can take household waste and other rubbish, put it in a high-tech incinerator and transform it into energy. No down sides, no side effects, the rubbish has gone ‘‘away’’ and we’re left with clean, renewable energy.

But is large-scale incineration of household rubbish too good to be true? Let me share some backstory with you, and you can decide.

First, some recent history about the efforts to bring incineration into Aotearoa New Zealand. Right now there are at least four proposals to build large-scale incinerators in small communities around the country. These proposals come just as European countries are turning their backs on incineration of household waste, as they transition to a circular economy.

You may have heard about the proposal, in 2019, to build a waste-to-energy incinerator on the West Coast. The proposal by Renew Energy, partnering with Chinese company China Tianying Inc (CNTY), collapsed spectacularly amid revelations of secret deals and a vote of no-confidence in Buller Mayor Garry Howard. Howard visited China with Renew representatives in 2018, signing a secret deal with Renew energy and the Chinese company. Documents obtained by Stuff under the Official Information Act found this agreement included providing a landfill for the fly ash (toxic waste) that the incinerator would produce.

When this all became public in 2019, Renew Energy shelved its plan to build the incinerator in Westport, citing lack of public support. Chief executive David McGregor said at the time it would be better to build the giant incinerator closer to the 300,000 tonnes of rubbish it would burn each year, i.e. closer to Christchurch where they had ‘‘secured’’ 250,000 tonnes of rubbish annually.

Last month, Renew revealed plans to build the incinerator in Waimate, South Canterbury. The proposal is a joint venture between Renew and the same overseas companies involved in the West Coast proposal (China Tianying Inc and Urbaser SAU, a large...