Successfully Integrating Energy from Waste within a Renewable Energy Strategy to Gain Maximum Public Acceptance
(Room Jupiter 7)
02 Sep 15
9:00 AM
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10:30 AM
Asia needs to increase energy generating capacity while also needing more residual waste plants. So on the face of it, Energy from Waste (EfW) should provide an ideal win/win scenario. However, the general public remains very anti EfW and we are in danger of missing a significant opportunity to solve two serious problems in one go. Unfortunately, the pressure to deliver both new energy generation and waste disposal infrastructure has collided with two fundamental ‘blocks’ to public acceptance of EfW – The historical and cultural context of waste management infrastructure and, secondly, a perception that good EfW is bad for Recycling. EfW has a poor reputation globally, based on a combination of poor performance of plants in the past and perceived fears, often misplaced, about the impacts of such technology. A simple internet search reveals a wealth of unhelpful and incorrect information about emissions and health impacts of EfW plants. Also, a lack of suitable evidence allows the myth that EfW is bad for recycling to persist. Asia is at a crossroads, EfW could be a very helpful technology, but public acceptance is getting in the way of infrastructure development, as Governments in Hong Kong, Philippines and elsewhere in Asia have found out. So, can we dramatically change public attitudes, behaviours and responses to EfW in a very short period of time? Well yes, but it will take a fundamental change in the way the industry, Government and academic institutions engage with the public. This paper will explain why there needs to be a new approach from Governments who want this technology as part of their waste management and energy generation plans, while also providing practical guidance for developers on how best to approach public engagement that allows fast delivery of this genuine win-win technology.