Greens opposing plans to create waste incinerators in Sussex have been told to get real and accept they are necessary.

Lewes Green Party called on a planning inspector to tell Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council to draw up more sustainable alternatives to huge burners.

Susan Murray, giving evidence to the ongoing public inquiry into the waste plans, said the two authorities had made a "serious omission" by not taking into account zero waste policies.

She said many overseas councils, were already moving towards producing zero waste.

Both Sussex authorities plan to recycle and compost about 40 per cent of household rubbish by 2020.

The waste plans propose two incinerator sites, at North Quay, Newhaven, and Mountfield Mine, near Robertsbridge, to burn most remaining refuse from Brighton and Hove and East Sussex.

Contractor Onyx Aurora wants to build a single burner at North Quay.

Ms Murray said: "It is possible to achieve zero waste policies and these plans should have taken these into account."

Timothy Howard, representing the councils, said it would be a "retrograde step" to abandon the plans and it would be unrealistic to set higher recycling targets.

He said: "Zero waste is not without its attractions as a philosophy, we simply say in reality we have got to accept its limitations."

The inquiry is likely to continue until the autumn.

Wednesday June 25, 2003