IN TWO letters (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, May 10 and 24) Brian Baggott says that “incinerators are a necessary evil”.

I agree that they are evil but not that they are necessary.

He describes them as “the only alternative to landfill”.

I point out that the material that could be recycled or composted should not be incinerated. Indeed, by 2020, European legislation may outlaw the incineration of recyclable and compostable material.

He suggests that Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils should share an incinerator.

I am aware that looming overcapacity of residual waste treatment facilities in the UK may mean that these two approved incinerators may never be built.

Eunomia’s residual waste infrastructure review shows that the total waste arising is likely to be 1.5 million tonnes fewer in 2020-21 than in 2009-10, resulting in overcapacity in the UK of about 1.2 million tonnes in 2015-16.

Add to this the rapidly rising trend in drying our waste, re-branding it as “refuse-derived fuel” and exporting it to the Continent to keep their incinerators burning, UK overcapacity could be reached even sooner than Eunomia predicts.

Mr Baggott makes the point that “a jointly-operated unit would save money for both county councils both in building and operating costs”.

While this is certainly correct, more savings would arise from ongoing reduction, reuse, recycling and composting and this approach has the bonus of being supported by both government policy and the law (the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011) and would avoid the cost of the incineration tax being considered by government to address a “market failure” identified in the Government's June 2011 review of waste policy.

I ask that the responsible parties consider these points carefully, before it is too late.

JANET MARY KNOWLES, Lady Place, Sutton Courtenay