Crymlyn Burrows is Wales' only incinerator

The survey by Eye on Wales discovered 16 councils are considering adopting a system to turn black bag rubbish into fuel pellets to be burnt.

Environment minister Carwyn Jones has said the development of incinerators in Wales is inevitable.

Objectors say the new processes have not been shown to work effectively.

In Wales, four million tonnes of rubbish is thrown away every year.

By 2010 local authorities face fines if they do not find alternatives to putting rubbish in landfill sites.

When you come to put real rubbish into a real incinerator you end up with problems Julian Rosser

Recycling rates in Wales are still low compared to other European countries, and some see incineration as the answer.

Mark Williams, the head of public services at Caerphilly Council, said: "It has to happen. There will be a role for thermally treating waste.

"In the Netherlands they don't bat an eyelid about a 400,00 tonne municipal waste incinerator in their locality.

"Unfortunately this country has a culture of opposing every type of waste disposal centre, wherever it is," he added.

Eye on Wales says Mr Williams' view is echoed by many authorities, which are still committed to recycling, but do not believe it will be sufficient to reduce their waste by 2010.

Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend share Wales's only incinerator at Crymlyn Burrows.

The director of Friends of the Earth, Julian Rosser, said it had not been demonstrated that the new processes work completely effectively.

"This is the problem we had with Crymlyn Burrows," he explained.

"While theoretically they should be clean and very efficient, when you come to put real rubbish into a real incinerator you end up with problems.

Environment Minister Carwyn Jones said that while recycling remained the Welsh Assembly Government's priority, the development of new incinerators was inevitable.

"There is always going to be that amount of waste that will have to be disposed of either by landfill or burning," he said.

"As a society, we like buying things in colourful boxes and generating waste.

"There will always be a need to dispose of un-recyclable material in one way or another."

Eye on Wales discovered 16 councils were at different stages of signing up to creating fuel for incineration.

Caerphilly, Cardiff, Monmouth, Carmarthen and Gwynedd councils plan to build Mechanical Biological treatment centres (MBTs) that will produce fuel for incineration.

Pembrokeshire, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen are also planning MBTs, but have not yet decided what to do with the fuel.

Of all the Welsh local authorities, only Ceredigion, Powys, Flint, the Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Newport have ruled out any plans for now.

Eye on Wales is broadcast 1800 BST on Monday 8 May