COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE
SAY NO TO WASTE INCINERATION
126 groups in 54 countries take action in first ever
globally coordinated day of protest against incineration

Manila/ Berkeley/Geneva. 17 June 2002. Environmental groups and community organizations on six continents today took action against waste incineration, challenging their governments to put a stop to the deadly practice and move their communities towards sustainable waste systems. Protest assemblies, direct actions, public fora, cultural events, cavalcade, petition campaign and information drive are taking place in 54 countries in a record manifestation of global opposition to waste incineration.

Today’s actions coincide with the first day of the sixth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC 6) meeting on the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Geneva. The Treaty, signed by 151 countries, aims to eliminate the most persistent toxic substances known to science, including the cancer-causing dioxins and furans.

The Convention identifies all waste incinerators, including cement kilns burning hazardous waste as a major source of dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs, and recommends the use of substitute techniques to avoid the generation of these byproduct POPs. As reported by the United Nations Environment Program, incinerators are the source of 69% of dioxin emissions worldwide

According to the Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance (GAIA), which is spearheading worldwide participation in this first ever global day of action against waste incineration, the objectives of the Stockholm Convention renders incineration as an untenable waste management option particularly for countries which have signed the treaty.

“Governments must now ensure the development of safe and sustainable alternatives to incineration. By taking action today, we hope our governments will get the message loud and clear – incineration has no place in a sustainable future,” said GAIA Co-Coordinator Von Hernandez.

Incineration emissions and ash residues have been implicated in the serious contamination of the environment, the food supply and even breast milk, and have been associated with a growing litany of health problems including various cancers, reproductive disorders, immune system dysfunction, and birth defects.

Moreover, incinerators destroy vast quantities of resources which could have been recycled and brought back into the productive economy, and represents a massive financial drain on local governments and communities who will end up paying for the operation and maintenance of expensive, imported technology ·

GAIA is a growing international alliance of over 265 groups in 60 countries. Formed in Johannesburg in December 2000, the alliance seeks to phase out all forms of waste incineration and promote clean production, zero waste and sustainable discard management systems.

To see a full list of participating organizations and their activities for the Global Day of Action, please visit the GAIA website at www.no-burn.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Manny Calonzo, GAIA Office, Philippines

Tel: (+632) 929 0376, Fax: (+632) 436 4733, E-mail: manny.gaia @ no-burn.org

Monica Wilson, GAIA Office, USA

Tel: (+1510) 524 4000 ext. 104, Fax: (+510) 524 4228, E-mail: mwilson@essential.org
In Geneva at the INC6 POPs meeting: Von Hernandez (+63917 5263050)