Waste panel must probe how, but not how much

Tuesday 18th March 2008, 2:29PM GMT.

THE amount of rubbish any new disposal facility will be expected to deal with is not up for discussion, the people’s independent panel on waste disposal was told at its first meeting.

Members of the panel, created by the Public Services Department to reassure islanders that public opinion would be taken into consideration when it goes to the States with waste disposal recommendations, had questioned the government’s figure for the amount of rubbish to be dealt with.

The House decided on a figure of 45,000 tons, growing to 70,000 over 25 years. Those figures were based on the assumption that Guernsey would hit its target of 50% recycling. It is currently at 31.2% and panel members felt the tonnage might be wrong if the 50% figure was not reached.