The Church's Environment Commission has described the government's recently published solid waste management plan as inconsistent at times, especially where reference is made to the need for waste incineration.

The commission, which has in the past criticised government environmental policy, said the government may have opted for incineration because the strategy failed to reduce the amount of waste dumped in landfills.

The government should decide whether to have incineration on the basis of valid reasons - and not assumptions, the commission said in a statement.

It also stressed the need for enforcement and accountability - and that people should assume responsibility and pay for the waste they produced.

The commission said it was also essential that eco contribution schemes were run transparently so they would be seen as effective tools to reduce waste and not as cash cows. Paying for the use of plastic bags, for instance, was fair.

The government's plan, published earlier this year, made 87 recommendations and promoted a flexible strategy which, it said, could be adapted to the country's needs and technological developments.