Concerns have been expressed that the proposed energy from waste (EFW) incinerator for Cornwall will be a "hungry monster" that will be fed at the expense of recycling and composting. That's not the case because the contract with SITA has been written to protect against such an outcome. Cornwall county council is as anxious as the public to protect, and indeed increase, recycling.

It is also not true to say that the council will be committed to delivering specific tonnages to SITA for incineration, or Cornwall could face financial penalties.

Predicting how much waste there will be to deal with in future is not easy. Currently we generate 330,000 tonnes of municipal waste a year. That has increased year on year since 1998 when the figure was 250,000 tonnes. In the contract the council has set a minimum and maximum band of waste quantities (250,000 tonnes and 520,000 tonnes) which the contractor must deal with. If the public separates 70% of its waste, the contractor will have to recycle 70% of the waste - and any shortfall to the 240,000 tonnes per year EFW facility is the contractor's responsibility.

While it is possible to operate the plant with a lower throughput, if such a shortfall arose SITA would be permitted to accept commercial and industrial waste - which is not included in this municipal waste contract - to make up the spare capacity in the EFW plant, but only after it has prioritised dealing with Cornwall's municipal waste. SITA is not permitted to take municipal waste from outside Cornwall.

There is roughly the same amount of commercial and industrial waste in Cornwall as there is municipal waste, and at present the majority is sent to landfill. Reducing the amount sent to landfill, and recovering energy, is a far better option if that waste cannot be recycled.

As a bonus to Cornwall's taxpayers, the contract also states that the council would share in the income derived from treating that commercial and industrial waste and from the income from sales of electricity and heat generated.

It is often said that the devil is in the detail. In the case of Cornwall's waste management contract, the detail is where the desirability of the future plans for dealing with our waste become apparent.

Adam Paynter, executive member for environment and heritage, Cornwall county council