Devon County Council has been working with District Councils across the county to increase domestic recycling levels, and raise public awareness about the need to recycle. It has achieved a 55% recycling rate in 2010/2011, making it the best performing County in England! The success of the waste management strategy has been achieved through the help of the people of Devon and significant investment by the Council and partners into waste management systems.

However, the European Union Landfill Directive has set decreasing annual landfill targets for local authorities and will impose national fines for each tonne of waste that is landfilled above those limits. In addition to the environmental impact that landfilling waste has, the significant disincentive to landfill waste is the landfill tax.  Currently at £56 per tonne, the tax will increase to £80 by 2013.

Devon cannot meet its landfill targets through recycling alone. To avoid financial penalties, which could impact on council tax, as well as to address environmental concerns, new ways to deal with waste are needed.

In response to this need, Devon County Council’s waste disposal contractor, Viridor Waste Management Ltd, were granted planning permission in 2007 for an Energy from Waste Facility on the site of the former incinerator on Devon County Council’s site on Grace Road South in Marsh Barton. An Environmental Permit was obtained for the facility in 2010.  Meanwhile, following a tender process, Tiru SA were selected to build and operate the plant. The contract for the project was signed in Summer 2011 - see the press release The Exeter Energy from Waste Plant.

The Exeter Energy from Waste Plant is the first step that Devon has taken to deal with residual waste (that left over after reduction, reuse, recycling and composting activities have taken place) and achieve the diversion of biodegradable wastes from landfill. The second step was working in partnership with Torbay and Plymouth City Councils on the South West Devon area disposal contract which was won by MVV Umwelt. Details of this project can be found at www.swdwp.co.uk