16th July 2021

Hi Keith,

I am writing to you re the borough council's Carbon Reduction Strategy 2020. Re plastic, nothing appears to have changed from the draft version. Please confirm whether that's correct and respond to the points made in our original letter to the council, below.

Thanks,

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

---forward---

11th December 2020

Dear Swindon Borough Council,

I write to you on behalf of the Plastic Free Swindon campaign. Hence focus will be on plastic with regards to the carbon reduction strategy. Clarification on all points made can be found in the library on our website: https://plasticfreeswindon.org/resources/library

There is no mention of the contribution of plastics to climate change in this draft carbon reduction strategy. The Centre for Environmental Law’s Plastic and Climate report clearly details the significant and growing role that our use of plastic plays in climate change and mass extinction; interconnected factors. In order to have an effective carbon reduction strategy, plastic must be factored. It is therefore important to understand the problems of the current system, to move to genuine solutions.

Recycling has repeatedly been touted as the solution to dealing with plastic by the plastics industry and its proponents over the last 5 decades even though they were aware that a system of recycling is neither healthy nor sustainable:

• Plastic ‘recycling’ is more accurately termed as downcycling, as it degrades and pollutes.
• Only 9% of plastics made have ever been ‘recycled’.
• ‘Recycling’ plastic requires the use of further virgin plastics.
• There are thousands of chemicals that constitute what we call plastic; many of them toxic; most of them untested for safe use.
• ‘Recycling’ plastic slows the rate of pollution only.
• The proliferation of fracking has made virgin plastic cheaper than recycled plastic.
• Plastic pollutes directly and indirectly throughout its lifecycle.

We have been in touch with Public Power Solutions (PPS) and members of the council to try and get a clear picture of how plastic is dealt with in Swindon. There is not a clear picture of how plastic is processed. In my correspondence with PPS, not once was it mentioned that plastic degrades during ‘recycling’. The recycling figures are presented in such a way to seem like a virtuous cycle. That is not the case.

Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) is described in the draft strategy as one of “a number of initiatives that continue to benefit the Council, its residents and the wider borough”. Let’s be clear about SRF. The plastics / oil industry were among those who created and promoted this supposed standard (EN15359). It is not a standard as such, in that limits are unspecified. EN15359 merely stipulates to report levels of certain constituent elements. It places the onus of responsibility for its use on “responsible authorities”. This would seem to devolve responsibility.

The creation and use of SRF is an indirect way of burning waste, including plastic. The emissions from drying and burning this toxic mixture is neither healthy nor sustainable, contributing to disease and climate change. Extremely harmful and persistent materials such as dioxins and furans are released into the environment. How is this of benefit to anyone? Indeed, if this fuel was used in Swindon, rather than sold to Eastern Europe for use in cement kilns, the residents of Swindon might learn first hand of the dangers of burning SRF.

Chemical recycling is another non-solution to plastic pollution. Recycling Technologies’ chemical process is inefficient (85%), energy intensive, and polluting. It is to be noted that fossil-fuel derived plastic pollutes all through its lifecycle. Hence the idea touted by Recycling Technologies, of a circular plastics economy is a contradiction in terms. We suggest that Recycling Technologies' process should only be used in the short term until genuine solutions are implemented.

It is with sadness that I need to mention the incinerator at South Marston. This crude method of dealing with plastic and other waste is highly polluting and hazardous for health. The people of Swindon should note that such incinerators are often constructed in poorer communities.

Solutions to plastic pollution:

• Implementing a system of zero waste.
• Moving back to local production and services.
• Supporting / furthering equality; aspects including wealth and income, racial, gender and housing provision.

Following are suggested actions based on the framework provided in the draft strategy that would work towards these solutions:

• Incorporate a zero waste plan into both the waste and carbon reduction strategies. See https://zerowasteworld.org/zwmp for guidance.
• Work with and support the Plastic Free Swindon campaign.
• Provide accurate information in communications. The current methods of dealing with waste are far from ideal; recycling, pyrolysis, and incineration are not solutions to our waste problems. Such misinformation can hinder the adoption of genuine solutions.
• Encourage / lobby central government to implement the Plastic Pollution Bill, which would enshrine in law a timetable of plastic reduction.
• Reduce the council’s direct use of plastic. If the council wants to promote and further sustainability, it should surely be setting the example. Hence we urge the council to work towards and promote plastic-free operation / zero waste.
• Support and promote measures to further equalities. The basis for council cuts that has seen poverty rise across the borough and the country have been on a fallacious basis. Cuts to council funding came about through the government’s austerity program. The premise for austerity was that overspending in the public sector caused the financial crash of 2008. That is untrue and needs to be challenged. Banks and a lack of regulation were responsible. Banks were bailed out, allowed to get away with criminal activity. This furthered inequality, lowering living standards for many. The consequential social ills contribute to waste, environmental destruction and climate change. If we are to have a healthy planet, we need healthy, happy people.

We hope that you will carefully consider our response to this consultation and make appropriate revisions to the strategy.

Yours sincerely,

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

27th July 2021

Hi Ben,

Apologies [for the delay in responding, details withheld as personal]. I’ll forward your comments to officers for review, but it is possible that no changes will be made at this stage.

Whilst single use plastics should be eliminated we need to focus our attention on what we can have the greatest level of influence over. With 6% of oil production going in to the creation of plastic in Europe, governments will be able to reduce GHG emissions faster by addressing use of fossil fuels in transport, heating and energy generation. This is almost certainly why this is not given as high a priority as other measures by national governments.

As a council we have virtually eliminated our use of single use plastics, however we have virtually no control outside of our own estate. The areas we can influence that will have a greater impact in the short to medium term are the ones we are focussing on.

Regards,

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

2nd August 2021

Hi Ben,

Further to your e-Mail and after discussion with officers the substantive work to address plastics use is being led at a UK-level by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). For example, it is leading the UK Plastics Pact which brings together businesses from across the entire plastics value chain with UK governments and NGOs to tackle plastic waste.

The Pact has set four targets to achieve by 2025:

1. Eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (reuse) delivery model.
2. 100% of plastics packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
3. 70% of plastics packaging effectively recycled or composted.
4. 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.

Regards,

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

6th August 2021

Hi Keith,

Apologies for the delay in responding.

Thanks for forwarding comments onto the relevant officers.

To deal with the point's that you've made:

1. "Whilst single-use plastics should be eliminated we need to focus our attention on what we can have the greatest level of influence over."

   Swindon Borough Council (SBC) have influence on plastic pollution, as do all councils. We have provided feedback on how to do that, touching on points 36, 39,40, and 44 of Friends of the Earth's Climate Action Plan for councils. With regards to the Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF plant), I reiterate that the current SBC messaging is wrong. This leads many people to believe that waste incineration / waste-to-energy is part of a sustainable system, enabling this unhealthy system of production / pollution to continue. So, the power / influence to change this and potentially make a large local impact are at the council's discretion. Will you amend the council's communications accordingly? You have so far not responded to this point.

2. "With 6% of oil production going into the creation of plastic in Europe, governments will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions faster by addressing use of fossil fuels in transport, heating and energy generation."

   This is a misleading use of statistics. Plastic's climate change impacts are also indirect. If you haven't read them already, The Centre For Environmental Law's (CIEL) Plastic and Climate report and our resource, The Life of a Plastic Bottle both clarify that plastic pollutes throughout its 'life' using energy and resources and is a growing problem that could mean that we significantly miss climate targets. Plastic pollution contributes to loss of biodiversity / mass extinction, correlated to climate change. Hence to deal with climate change, it is vital that we urgently and effectively deal with plastic pollution, as stated in the Plastic and Climate report.

   The lack of progress and unwillingness to effectively deal with plastic pollution is not to do with speed / capacity, as you have suggested. The UK government are capable of putting in place effective legislation to reduce plastic production / pollution but have chosen to bypass this (the Plastic Pollution Bill) for weaker, more convoluted proposals to deal with symptoms of the current diseased system of production rather than root causes. This is because of the UK government's connections to industry. For example, the UK government is in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF), which consists of major oil companies and the banks that have funded them.

3. "...it is possible that no changes will be made at this stage"

   How would such an inflexible system, ignoring pertinent information, serve our best interests?

4. "the substantive work to address plastics use is being led at a UK-level by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). For example, it is leading the UK Plastics Pact which brings together businesses from across the entire plastics value chain with UK governments and NGOs to tackle plastic waste."

   Is the substantive work to address plastic use being led at a UK level by WRAP? is their vision of, "a world where plastic is valued and doesn't pollute the environment" realistic? WRAP do not mention plastic pollution and other environmental impacts throughout its 'life', including the recycling stage. Much of WRAP's focus is on recycling. Recycling plastics is not the answer, as is made clear in our article on it. Time and again, industry and its advocates have told the public that we can recycle our way out of plastic pollution, despite knowing this to be untrue.

   Plastic use / pollution, inequality, climate change and mass extinction have risen in line with the growth of large transnational industries - oil, food, pharmaceuticals, transport and agriculture. So, to effectively deal with plastic pollution and other crises, a true solution is to support local, independent businesses instead of these unhealthy and unsustainable transnational corporations. Their profit equates to our disease. No mention from WRAP on this. Instead they produce a report on the UK Plastics Pact claiming to be "blazing a trail on plastics". That's not accurate. A Greenpeace report, for example, shows that plastic use in UK supermarkets over the last few years has increased. Here are a few other brief examples of these supposedly trail blazing companies:

   • Coca Cola have lobbied against the use of Deposit Return Schemes in many countries including the UK. They sell 120 billion plastic bottles a year.
   • Nestle's CEO claimed that people don't have a right to water. The company helped privatise water in the US as the world's largest water bottler, to the detriment of communities, animals and environment.
   • Asda Walmart were contacted by Moya Pinson and West Swindon parish council about the littering of plastic face masks and gloves in Westlea. They have failed to act. The High Price of Low Cost film documents some of the devastation that they caused to towns and communities in the USA.

   Big business blaze a trail of destruction and misery around the world for their own selfish ends / profit / control. It's now well documented that equality is key to sorting out environmental and social crises. For clarification of that, see the work of Danny Dorling and the Equality Trust. But how can we further equality in a system that has enabled the existence of centibillionaires whilst the majority are increasingly impoverished?

Sincerely,

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

17th August 2021

Hi Keithy,

Do you care to respond?

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

13th September 2021

To the Swindon Advertiser,

I have written to Keith Williams, borough councillor for climate change, several times asking for the borough council to take affirmative action on plastic pollution. He is no longer responding, hence this letter.

The Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) plant at Cheney Manor is promoted by the borough council as one of “a number of initiatives that continue to benefit the Council, its residents and the wider borough". How is polluting the environment beneficial to anyone? The reality of the SRF plant is the indirect burning of plastic and other waste. The waste is dried, requiring energy input. It is then sent to Eastern Europe to be burnt in cement kilns. This requires fuel for transportation. Burning this supposed "fuel" is carbon-intensive, contributing to climate change, inefficient, and is highly polluting, releasing noxious substances such as dioxins and furans. It certainly isn't beneficial to those poor communities in Eastern Europe who have to deal with this pollution. The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), the UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN), and the Plastic Free Swindon website provide excellent resources to demonstrate these points. The borough council’s messaging on waste incineration / waste-to-energy is wrong, enabling plastic pollution to continue as people may then believe these processes to be healthy and beneficial. I have asked Keith Williams several times to amend this messaging, without response.

Plastic pollutes throughout its life not just at disposal, so the key to dealing with plastic pollution is reducing plastic production to use natural materials, NOT plastic recycling, incineration and landfill. I provided this information to Keith Williams and the borough council. I also wrote to Keith Williams about the contribution of plastic to climate change, citing the large body of evidence presented in the Plastic and Climate report by the Center For International Environmental Law (CIEL). Plastic is a major and increasing factor in climate change, directly and indirectly. Yet the borough council make no mention it at all in their carbon reduction strategy of 2020.

The UK FIRES Absolute Zero report, sponsored by the UK government, states that there is to be "rapid reduction in supply and use of all fossil fuels, except for plastic production" up until 2030. That shows the UK government’s continuing support for plastic production. They even partner with the World Economic Forum, consisting of the oil / plastics industry who continue to pollute our planet for their profit. So is the borough council’s incorrect messaging on waste incineration then any surprise? Do those making policy at the borough council genuinely want to deal with plastic pollution? It doesn't seem so. We need to be moving towards zero waste. Instead we are being tied into waste incineration contracts for years to come, facilitating the continued use of plastic and other toxic synthetic chemicals that poison the environment.

Sincerely,
Ben Bell
Co-ordinator, Plastic Free Swindon

15th September 2021

Hi Ben,

We have had quite a few exchanges on this now, but I’m afraid I am probably not going to be able to meet your expectations on this matter. The future of the SRF plant is currently a matter for discussion, however I cannot go into more detail.

I’m happy to arrange a meeting between you and officers in order for you to ask all of your questions directly if this will help. SBC are currently employing a waste consultant, so if you are keen, now would be the best time.

Regards,

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

18th September 2021

Hi Keith,

You hadn't responded on this for over 5 weeks. Hence I wrote a letter to the Adver and around 2 days later you respond. Did the Adver contact you re my letter to them?

Why can't you discuss the future of the SRF plant? It's surely in the public interest given that it's an urgent environmental and health issue.

Yes we've had exchanges but have come to no resolution on issues. My expectations on this would be that public servants serve the public interest, in this instance by conveying accurate information, answering questions, and amending policy / actions accordingly. You still haven't responded to key points:

• Will the borough council correct the messaging re the SRF unit?
• Will you acknowledge that we need to be moving away from plastic recycling and waste incineration / waste-to-energy towards plastic reduction as part of a system of zero waste? WRAP continue to promote an inept system of plastic recycling that is shown in practise not to work.
• Will you acknowledge the government's connections to the oil / plastics industry?

Thanks, I'd be happy to communicate with officers directly. You're welcome to pass on my email address.

Sincerely,
Ben Bell
Co-ordinator, Plastic Free Swindon

Hi Ben,

No, the Adver haven’t been in touch, I suspect they might just print your letter.

[Meeting information]

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

21st September 2021

Hi Keith,

No answers to the questions then?

Meeting information]

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

1st October 2021

We were contacted by the Advertiser at the start of the week in response to your letter and a reply to those questions is due to be published tomorrow.

Meeting information]

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

7th October 2021

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the pointer, I read the Adver article that you mentioned. The points have been made and are understood so I see no reason to meet, thank you. The question remains, will the borough council amend all messaging on the SRF plant so that it is no longer described as beneficial?

With regards to the question that you have not answered: The UK government are in partnership with the World Economic Forum, consisting of the fossil fuel and biochemicals industries and the banks that fund them. This is a conflict of interest. The UK government and councils including Swindon Borough Council are supposed to represent and work for the public interest, including the welfare of the environment. Instead they are working to implement the World Economic Forum's Great Reset, which seeks to entrench the domination of these transnational corporations. Is it then any surprise that we continue to wait for effective legislation on plastic pollution and why focus continues to be on the non-solutions of plastic recycling, waste incineration, landfill, and illegal dumping of plastic waste on other countries?

Within the current system, the public are not privy to vital public information from a supposed public body because of, in your words, "legal and commercial reasons". How does that serve the public interest? It doesn't. Given the perversion of supposedly public bodies that I have touched on, my concern is that the borough council are stalling whilst further legislation (eg trade deals, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill) is sought to be enacted which would further the public / private power imbalance, inhibiting the public's ability to challenge the extremely harmful means core to oppressive transnational corporations. Given these concerns, we clearly need to monitor the situation. What is the timescale for the review that you mention?

Sincerely,

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

7th October 2021

Hi Ben,

The Advertiser amended my reply as they did with your questions.

We will not be amending the wording at this time as the situation will possibly be changing as part of a major review of waste disposal, so that will be the point to review it in early 2022?

In answer to the Government Policy/World Economic Forum question my reply was to advise you or other members of the public to contact your MP as this isn’t an area the Council has direct influence over.

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

8th October 2021

Hi Keith,

So the borough council will disinform the public, at least until the waste management review.

Please clarify, are you making a statement or asking a question about the date of the waste management review? It isn't clear, as there is a question mark at the end of the sentence.

You may have responded to the Adver on the question re the government / World Economic Forum (WEF) but you didn't respond to us. The point of the question is of integrity, and that policies filter out through parties and councils as they are enacted locally. You have agency. You are capable of speaking up, for example. You choose to represent your party. Are you not aware of the party's actions / policies, of partnership with the WEF? That would seem strange given your position as councillor for climate change. Accordingly I question whether you and the current administration of the borough council truly intend on dealing with plastic pollution or whether you will continue to facilitate plastic production. With continued focus on plastic recycling as a supposed solution and the incorrect messaging on the SRF plant (both despite clear evidence to the contrary), and partnership with the WEF, it would seem to be the latter.

Indeed, this runs much deeper to a system of corruption / oppression by actors such as the WEF. What happens to anyone who questions this system? The government labels them as extremists. That deception has been conveyed to shut down open communication. When seen in context with other legislation such as 'free trade' deals and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, the government seem to be attempting to implement a fascist or totalitarian system. On a global level, this seems to be the main aim of the Great Reset. Within such a system controlled by the oil / plastics industry and its allies, we may not be able to deal with related social and environmental crises including plastic pollution. That would be potentially catastrophic for life on Earth. So whether or not you / the borough council have direct influence over this, it would seem to be a matter of the utmost urgency to deal with. What action then is to be taken?

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

11th October 2021

Hi Ben,

I did offer to meet with you immediately after the advertiser article in an effort to clear up the points as you are not happy with the replies.I also responded to the points that the Advertiser chose not to publish on the WEF. You replied saying “Thanks for the pointer, I read the Adver article that you mentioned. The points have been made and are understood so I see no reason to meet, thank you.”

I’m aware that you are publishing our correspondence on your website (without the courtesy of asking permission to do so) and you also chose to omit the correspondence above misrepresenting our discussion to anyone reading it, so it does seem a bit rich that you are questioning the Council’s integrity.

My diary is very congested this week, however I have time at the weekend if you want to meet in an effort to bring some closure to this.You need to know I have a lot of respect for your commitment to this issue and genuinely want you to understand the constraints we face along with the pragmatic choices we have to make that are at odds with your principles.

[Personal information]

Regards,

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

11th October 2021

To clarify, we would like to have written answers to the questions asked. It's easy to say things that are not back up evidentially because they cannot be referenced. I see no good reason why written answers can't be provided for the public. I write to you in your capacity as councillor for climate change for Swindon Borough Council on behalf of Plastic Free Swindon. This is to hold you and the borough council to account, which is especially necessary because of your party's connections to the oil / plastics industry and a system of oppression, and because you are openly deceiving the public about the SRF plant. This information is of vital public interest, so I make no apologies for publishing it. I'm happy to meet with you if you think that it will help the situation. However we will continue to seek written accountability.

With regards to the claim that I am "misrepresenting our discussion": I have used brackets [meeting information] for meeting information because it was deemed personally sensitive. Please specifically state what is apparently misleading and I will look to amend it asap. I question the borough council's integrity because you say that the borough council will not amend incorrect messaging on the SRF plant, and because of connections to the oil / plastics industry and a system of oppression. We are still waiting for a response on the latter points. Do you not want to answer?

[Personal information]

Sincerely,

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

11th October 2021

Hi Ben,

Can you start by correcting the misspelling of my surname where you have edited my emails, and also include all e-mails I have sent, including at least one that you never replied to directly.

I would suggest the best approach at this point is if you send a concise e-Mail to customerservices@swindon.gov.uk and list the questions you would like answers to. Mark it for the attention of waste management. I would urge against using some of the long paragraphs as it might distract from the point you really want a reply to.

As for any questions about connections the Conservative Party has to the oil and plastics industries and “systems of oppression” you probably need to put that to your MP as it falls outside of my role as a Borough Councillor.

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

11th October 2021

I have amended the incorrect spelling of your name, and put both of our full names and titles in brackets so that the informality of your approach, as you described to me on the phone, is maintained.

I feel that the points core to this thread have been made and responded to. I suggest that we end the conversation.

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

18th October 2021

Hi Keith,

Again no answer from you after a week. Please respond to the previous email that I sent.

Looking back through our discussion, it's noted that you haven't answered the question re the date of the waste management review that you mentioned. Is it in early 2022 or not?

To recap a point from our phone conversation, you claim that you are unaware of the UK government's partnership with the World Economic Fourm (WEF), which consists of the oil industry and its funders. As borough councillor for climate change, are you not interested in your party's partnership with the WEF? It would seem to be vital information for someone in your role. Are you okay with being in a political party in partnership with the WEF? In fact, you work for a member organisation of the WEF yet you claim not to know of the WEF's partnership with the UK government.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-world-economic-forum-to-lead-regulation-revolution-to-foster-industries-of-the-future

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

18th October 2021

Hi Ben,

The previous e-Mail you sent me finished with the line: “ I feel that the points core to this thread have been made and responded to. I suggest that we end the conversation.” So I took this literally.

The waste management review is ongoing and a decision is due to be made early in 2022. However it is subject to receiving acceptable replies and scoring, so it is possible a final decision would not be taken and we might have to review the process. However, I think this is unlikely as we did receive good indications from some earlier soft market testing.

With regard to the WEF, I have no involvement with this from a political perspective and did not appreciate my employer was a member. Interestingly my employer prides itself on its environmental credentials and is operational carbon neutral, does not invest employee pensions in the oil industry and is aligning its portfolios towards a carbon neutral economy.

Regards,

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)

18th October 2021

Fair enough re ending the conversation. I thought you would want to reply given that you expressed concern at being misrepresented.

Thanks for the info on the waste management review. I will come back to you on that in a separate thread.

According to the Banking on Climate Chaos Report 2021, your employer increased fossil fuel funding in 2020 to $40.8 billion. That's a rise of 141% from 2016 to 2020, of 41% from 2019 to 2020. Do you consider $40.8 billion of fossil fuel funding in a year to be good environmental credentials?

https://www.ran.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Banking-on-Climate-Chaos-2021.pdf

Ben
(Ben Bell, Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator)

18th October 2021

Ben,

It appears they have been understandably called out. I joined a leasing company 21 years ago that was subsequently acquired by the largest bank in Europe. Hopefully you appreciate I don’t have anything to do with investment decisions by what appears to be it’s American division.

Keith
(Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Councillor for climate change)