Support Brazil´s anti incineration Manifesto
Brazil is threatened by a brutal offensive of incineration projects in different parts of the country, an offensive which blatantly violates the spirit of the recently approved General Waste Management Law. In response, the National Coalition Against Waste and Incineration has been formed, uniting social organizations and recyclers throughout the country. Please support the Coalition by signing their Manifesto below.
MANIFESTO
Brazil is at risk of adopting incineration as a preferred waste management option, despite the fact that it is expensive, unsustainable, and in direct conflict with the ecological and social imperatives of the 21st century. Waste is produced continuously in the context of the current economic system that stimulates demand for new items and designs products for disposability and short-term obsolescence.
Making waste “disappear” and converting it into electricity by burning is a tempting option. But incinerated waste does not disappear: in nature nothing is created, nothing is lost; matter only changes form. Incineration transforms thousands of tons of various waste materials into millions of tiny particles, which must be captured as a gas and then processed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Incineration generates toxic ash as part of an unsatisfactory waste management system. The ashes are a source of toxic emissions that, despite the risk to public health and the environment, are not monitored carefully.
Incineration requires a huge expenditure of public funds for up to 40 years at a time. It is the waste management choice that generates the greatest volume of greenhouse gases and wastes the most energy. Among all of the options, incineration generates the fewest jobs. Moreover, incineration competes with grassroots recyclers for materials that otherwise would be sold for recycling.
Our task in the 21st century is not to find better ways of destroying materials, but to stop making packaging and products that must be destroyed. The problem of mixed waste is not a problem when waste is separated at source and collected separately. The problem of household organic waste is resolved by using very simple technologies: compost (wet fraction) and recycling (dry fraction).
We are against incineration and in favor of separate collection at source.
We are against financing and investing in programs to install incinerators and other forms of treatment involving the burning of solid waste.
We are against the construction of waste incinerators and other forms of treatment involving the burning of solid waste.
We encourage the funding of programs to reduce, reuse and recycle solid waste.
We encourage investment in civic education programs aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste.
National Coalition Against Waste Incineration, Brazil.
Brazil is at risk of adopting incineration as a preferred waste management option, despite the fact that it is expensive, unsustainable, and in direct conflict with the ecological and social imperatives of the 21st century. Waste is produced continuously in the context of the current economic system that stimulates demand for new items and designs products for disposability and short-term obsolescence.
Making waste “disappear” and converting it into electricity by burning is a tempting option. But incinerated waste does not disappear: in nature nothing is created, nothing is lost; matter only changes form. Incineration transforms thousands of tons of various waste materials into millions of tiny particles, which must be captured as a gas and then processed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Incineration generates toxic ash as part of an unsatisfactory waste management system. The ashes are a source of toxic emissions that, despite the risk to public health and the environment, are not monitored carefully.
Incineration requires a huge expenditure of public funds for up to 40 years at a time. It is the waste management choice that generates the greatest volume of greenhouse gases and wastes the most energy. Among all of the options, incineration generates the fewest jobs. Moreover, incineration competes with grassroots recyclers for materials that otherwise would be sold for recycling.
Our task in the 21st century is not to find better ways of destroying materials, but to stop making packaging and products that must be destroyed. The problem of mixed waste is not a problem when waste is separated at source and collected separately. The problem of household organic waste is resolved by using very simple technologies: compost (wet fraction) and recycling (dry fraction).
We are against incineration and in favor of separate collection at source.
We are against financing and investing in programs to install incinerators and other forms of treatment involving the burning of solid waste.
We are against the construction of waste incinerators and other forms of treatment involving the burning of solid waste.
We encourage the funding of programs to reduce, reuse and recycle solid waste.
We encourage investment in civic education programs aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste.
National Coalition Against Waste Incineration, Brazil.
