The residents of Shireoaks and Rhodesia have formed an action group against the proposed Shireoaks Plastic Recycling Centre and Energy Recovery Facility by the developers, Refiniti and Envale.
The plant, intended to be situated on Shireoaks Road, Worksop, is set to use a technique called pyrolysis, which heats waste plastic to high temperatures and uses chemicals to form an oil. Pyrolysis has proved controversial, with groups including Zero Waste Europe and UKWIN (United Kingdom Without Incinerators) stating that it can cause emissions, including dioxins, which are harmful to the environment and to human health.
Several residents have also raised concerns about potential explosions at the site. Explosions have occurred at pyrolysis plants in different countries, including in Denmark, where a 2021 explosion resulted in the complete destruction of the plant and evacuations of the entire local population. Other explosions have resulted in fatalities and serious injuries.
Refinit and Envale noted that if planning permission for the site is granted, the facility will require a Small Waste Incineration Plants Permit to operate, and that emissions from the facility will be ‘strenuously monitored’.
Both communities are extremely worried about the detrimental impact that this will have, both in the immediate future and longer-term, through family generations, on people’s quality of life and the environment overall.
Nottinghamshire County Council said that once received, the planning application will be “subject to consultation and publicity and all comments received will be taken into account as part of the decision-making process.”
The group will be asking for Worksop residents to support, in terms of taking action against this plant development, by objecting to the proposal.
For further information, please visit the Shireoaks and Rhodesia Against Plastic Pyrolysis (SRAPP) website www.SRAPP.org.uk or find the group on Facebook.