Factsheet: Waste act

Energy recovery from waste: The UK is obliged under the revised EU Waste Framework Directive to apply the waste hierarchy. This ranks waste management options in order of environmental preference and the first priority is waste reduction. Recovering energy from waste is only appropriate for waste that cannot be prevented, reused or recycled with less greenhouse gas emitted. Energy recovery can be a sustainable option for waste that would otherwise go to landfill and create landfill methane emissions.