Select a region
Waste management could still be handled by central government by the end of the week, but there’s been a move to open up the processing of food waste instead.
It comes after a Requête calling for the parishes to decide where to divert waste to came in for heavy criticism from the committees responsible for the island's waste management system.
Deputies Neil Inder and Rob Prow have submitted an amendment to allow some flexibility after recognising that the original petition “is too wide ranging and risks reputational damage to Guernsey’s procurement process by allowing full and unfettered access to existing off- and on-island government contracts”.
It comes after the Requête calling for the parishes to decide where to divert waste to came in for heavy criticism from the committees responsible for the island's waste management system.
The pair want the States to allow the States Trading Supervisory Board to continue as the waste disposal authority so it can specify sites for parishes to dump household waste.
But the amendment also calls for States permission to divert food waste “to any site with a relevant waste management licence or exemption” for treatment, after first being collected and delivered to Longue Hougue.
Investigations are also requested to work out how much of this waste could be diverted for local processing in future to support “innovation and enterprise”.
Pictured: Deputy Neil Inder will lead the amendment in the States.
They also noted the “limited support” from parish douzaines for any devolution of responsibility for handling waste but said there could be a better local solution to process at least some of 5,000 tonnes of food waste collected each year.
98% of this waste is shipped off-island to be converted to bioenergy in the UK.
By having one pick up point for food waste – Longue Hougue Transfer Station – they say a change in the law won’t be required to set up a series of private waste handling sites, with the STSB left to approve any diversion to companies which have the appropriate licenses.
Environment & Infrastructure and the STSB said it could take years to set up private sites outside of Longue Hougue and would likely increase the cost of processing waste which would be passed onto taxpayers.
The States will debate the amendment at the next Assembly meeting which starts on Wednesday.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.