Cornwall Council could save £80million if it scrapped plans for an incinerator and used alternative forms of waste disposal.
The Cornwall Waste Forum (CWF) presented its proposal to the council's waste development advisory panel last week which agreed the ideas should be independently assessed for the council.
CWF said Cornwall Council should use anaerobic digestion and significantly increase the amount of waste which is recycled and reused – instead of pressing ahead on the £117million incinerator proposed for St Dennis, near St Austell.
Earlier in the week, the forum had lost a last-ditch legal battle for their case against the incinerator to be heard by the Supreme Court.
In a presentation to the panel, CWF member Charmain Larke said most waste would be reused and recycled with food waste being collected separately and then being treated in an anaerobic digestion plant.
CWF claims that most of the residual material would be able to be sold at a profit, bringing down the cost of operating the plants required.
The group said there would be capital savings of between £46 million and £66 million and that annual costs would be reduced by more than £8 million a year.
Mrs Larke said: "This paper has been drawn up with the aim of minimising costs. You can do this by minimising waste production, maximising recycling and through maximising the use of materials locally."
The calculations offered by the group did not appear to factor in compensation which would be paid to waste firm Sita if the incinerator contract with the council was scrapped. There also did not appear to be any allowances made for planning and land costs.
The panel made a recommendation to the council's Cabinet that an independent assessment be commissioned into CWF's plans and also of the existing plans for the incinerator. The Cabinet is expected to consider the recommendation when it meets tomorrow.
