The Government is facing a £250 million decision on whether to replace the energy-from-waste plant, a leading political think tank has said.
Policy Centre Jersey has questioned why there is no reference to the Energy Recovery Facility at La Collette in the recently published ‘Investing in Jersey’ strategy – a 25-year government framework for investing in the island’s infrastructure.
The incinerator was opened in 2011 having cost around £110 million to build. It was expected to have a 25-year lifespan, meaning it would reach the end of its life in 2036.
However, Policy Centre Jersey said replacement costs are now estimated at £250 million and suggested the government could change its recycling model by charging islanders for disposing unrecyclable goods as Guernsey does.
In 2019, Guernsey introduced a pay-as-you-throw collection scheme which sees households must include paid-for stickers on each sack of general rubbish put out for collection.
Jennifer Bridge, a contributor for Policy Centre Jersey, said: “With a ten-year lead in time for a new ERF which is anticipated to cost up to £250 million at today’s prices, decisions need to be made now about what we do next.”
A paper published by the think tank found that Jersey’s waste levels are double that of Guernsey’s. In 2024, Jersey generated 348kg of general waste per person compared to 118kg per person in Guernsey. The paper also revealed that Jersey’s household recycling rate is 35% compared to 68% in Guernsey.
Nine of the 12 parishes provide kerbside recycling schemes – with St Martin due to begin in March. However, with three different systems in place across the island, Policy Centre Jersey has argued that this results in people binning items that could be recycled.
Ms Bridge added: “Recycling isn’t just about bins – it’s about making it easy, trustworthy, and worthwhile.
“When people see that what they recycle is genuinely reused, and when it’s simpler to recycle than to throw away, behaviour changes fast.”