Burnaby's waste-to-energy incinerator should not be expanded as it creates a demand for more waste and emits a substantial amount of greenhouse gases, according to a new study.
Closing the Loop: Reducing Greenhouse Emissions Through Zero Waste in B.C. is a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Wilderness Committee, which came out last week.
The closed-loop model takes a zero-waste management approach where products, such as appliances, are repaired and reused for as long as possible. Then the items are broken down into parts to be used in new products, or recycled.
Currently, Metro Vancouver incinerates its waste in Burnaby. The study states it is not only an environmental concern, but in many cases is also a social one - as low-income households live in close proximity to the incinerators, "with adverse impacts on health."
"Incineration has appeal among policymakers because it gives the perception of making waste disappear, and can produce heat and electricity for other economic uses," the report states. "This view is deceptive: incineration may well destroy recognizable items, but not their material basis."
Waste never truly disappears, but turns into a new form such as ash, gas, heavy metals and toxic compounds from being burned.
B.C.'s major incinerator in Burnaby processes approximately 280,000 tonnes of waste every year and official gas emissions in 2010 was a total of about 84,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
"While Metro Vancouver has been actively promoting the idea of zero waste . its recently approved Solid Waste Management Plan puts high priority on new incineration capacity on the grounds that it diverts material waste from landfills and can generate electricity," the report states.
Metro Vancouver's proposed waste-to-energy facility is still in its planning stages, but is projected to handle up to 370,000 tonnes of waste per year.
"This would more than double incineration emissions," the report states. "Over time, this investment could undermine zero-waste goals, as waste will be needed as a feedstock to power the facility for several decades."
The report also points out that if there was a decrease in waste flow, which would normally be positive, it could lead to energy shortages.
The dependence on burning waste to create energy generates higher greenhouse gas emissions than burning natural gas, according to the report, and close to that of burning coal, "the dirtiest of fossil fuels."
"However, if all emissions (including combustion of organic materials) are counted, incineration is worse than any fossil fuel generation, including coal," states the report.
Another key concern with new incinerators is how they divert resources, such as funding and staff time, from otherwise seeking out alternative waste reduction activities.
"This significant opportunity cost is often ignored," the report adds.
The study's recommendations include the integration of greenhouse gas emissions into waste management planning, not expanding incineration capacity, requiring province-wide composting, phasing out single-use products and packaging, and banning or tightly regulating toxic or non-recyclable materials.
Marc Lee, the lead author of the study, estimates that B.C. could reduce emissions by five million tonnes, if it switches to a more aggressive reduction and recycling system by 2020.
"Zero waste means that we proactively reduce the volume of materials entering the economy in the first place, while supporting a high quality of life for consumers," Lee states. "A good model is beer bottles, which are reused about 15 times before they are recycled due to deposit-and-return systems."
The report was primarily funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, with support from Vancity, the Vancouver Foundation and the Pacific Institute on Climate Solutions.
It is part of the Climate Justice Project, which is a partnership between the University of British Columbia and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
For more information, visit www.pol icyalternatives.ca.
