Why are they defending incineration?

Sutton Lib Dems still defend incineration as their preferred choice of managing Sutton's refuse and recycling, despite the evidence that incineration has rocketed to 61% while recycling has fallen from 50% to 39% since the burner was turned on.  Senior Councillors look hypocritical, campaigning against sewage when residents know that clean air is as important as clean rivers.

Not only have there been multiple emissions breaches for Nitrogen Oxides and Volatiles over the last year, but now permission has been given the go-ahead for cheaper, more toxic high-Sulphur diesel to top up the incinerator.

It seems the Council, satisfied with sitting idle as their business partner increases their capacity to burn more - just a few hundred metres from family homes - now cries foul as another permit for 10% more capacity has been approved! It appears that local Liberal Democrat policy is to only tackle environmental issues where they have no direct control.

From the original 305,000 tonnes, the hungry incinerator now looks to burn 385,000 - this waste material is not even generated in Sutton, but the fallout lands in the gardens, homes and lungs of local people.

The Lib Dems lost Council seats to Labour in 2022, partly due to their toxic relationship with incineration and their ridiculous belief that 'there is no smoke coming out of that chimney' of the incinerator. A GCSE student knows that when you burn plastic and metal you get more than steam!

Labour Cllr Dave Tchil has raised this issue at every possible opportunity to expose the weak hand of the Council. He said "When the Lib Dems invited heavy industry into suburbia they turned a blind eye to its impact, now they have lost control of the hungry Viridor beast and can't stop it taking advantage and burning more".

The contempt by Lib Dem Councillors for any criticism of their incinerator was highlighted in a foul-mouthed speech, and a bizarre accusation that people who think burning plastics, batteries and metals near their homes are 'scaremongering'.

It's time to clean up Sutton and expose the unhealthy relationship between the Lib Dems and incineration.