Friends of the Earth have today released the latest in their series of briefings covering waste and recycling topics. The new 18-page report focuses on Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding for waste infrastructure. The briefing, researched and written by UKWIN member and champion anti-incineration campaigner Keith Kondakor, explains how the PFI process is applied to big waste projects. The report highlights problems and opportunities associated with waste PFIs, and some possible ways to get involved with the process to achieve better outcomes.
There is growing concern that the PFI process encourages local authorities to procure large, inflexible facilities such as incinerators, rather than implementing schemes to maximise recycling and provide small-scale, flexible technologies to deal with the waste left after recycling and composting (known as residual waste).
The report notes that Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provides a useful outline of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Application and Scrutiny Process (Based on 4 Award Rounds).
Keith kindly shares his expertise, ensuring that readers of the briefing will become more knowledgeable about Gateway 0 Review; Expressions of Interest (EoI); Outline Business Cases (OBC); Reference Projects; Final Business Cases (FBC); and even Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC). What more could you want?
OK. So I will learn something – then what?
Under the heading Campaigning on waste PFI and its problems the briefing offers some suggestions:
- Campaign for true consultation
- Campaign for a realistic level of waste growth
- Make the proposal unattractive to the waste industry
- Make sure councillors take responsibility, and have to constantly defend what they are doing
- Maximise delays
- Point out how massively expensive the project will be – not just in the next few years, but a costly legacy for the future
The briefing consludes:
Although the PFI funding process is often secretive and undemocratic, there are opportunities to get involved with the process to achieve better outcomes. Although many waste PFI projects involve unsustainable technologies, there are more positive waste management solutions which the funding can be spent on.
