Dorset residents join the national campaign which signals growing concerns over toxins and CO2 emissions from incineration.
On Saturday, 25 September 2021, local residents and environmental campaigners across the UK took to the streets to call attention to the harms associated with the burning of plastic and other “black bag” waste. Just five weeks before COP26 and amid growing public concern about climate and ecological breakdown, they are launching the Stop the Burn campaign, with the backing of groups like Black Lives Matter, Greenpeace, the UK Without Incineration Network (UKWIN), and XR Zero Waste.
‘England is set to have 50 new waste incinerators by 2030,’ said Georgia Elliott-Smith, an environmental engineer. ‘Incinerators profit from burning recyclable material like plastics and compostable food. Government data shows that in areas where incineration increases, recycling decreases. So we’re mobilizing and saying, “Stop this insanity and revisit the plans.”’
Incineration capacity in England is poised to double this decade, at a time when the Climate Change Committee has called on the UK waste sector to halve its greenhouse gas emissions and the United Nations has issued a ‘code red’ warning for human-driven global heating.
‘What we need is more waste prevention, reuse, repair, and recycling to slow climate collapse, but instead incinerator CO2 emissions are due to triple by the end of this decade’.
The proposed Powerfuel Portland waste incinerator is set to produce 202,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. For every metric ton of carbon dioxide released into the air, three square meters of Arctic sea ice disappears. Or it would take 1,212,000 trees to live 100 years to offset just one year of emissions! This is simply not acceptable, and it doesn’t have to be this way,’ said Portland resident and Olympic sailor, Laura Baldwin who took part in the action outside Portland Port this morning.
‘Research shows that waste incinerators are three times more likely to be sited in poorer areas, such as Portland, which is among the most deprived in the country.’
Incinerator pollutants, such as ultrafine particulate matter, NOx, dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, are associated with a variety of serious health impacts, including birth defects, cancer, liver and kidney disease, asthma, and endocrine disruption.
Jobs are also at stake. The reuse and repair sectors already provide 15 times more jobs than waste disposal. New incinerators, by contrast, provide few jobs and hamper investment in more sustainable repair and recycling systems, which could generate a desperately needed green job boom.
Other concerns relate to incinerator contracts, which incentivise councils to redirect recyclables to incinerators to meet minimum tonnage requirements. In such cases, incinerators burn more plastic and release more greenhouse gases and toxins into the air. If there is not enough waste to keep incinerators operating at capacity, then they can become stranded assets, leaving taxpayers to pay off useless infrastructure.
‘If any of 50 new incinerators become operational this decade, as expected, then the UK’s recycling and net-zero targets will remain out of reach,’ said sustainability expert Dr Rembrandt Koppelaar. ‘We need to learn the lessons of countries like Denmark and Sweden, which import waste from the UK and elsewhere to keep their incinerators running. We can avoid making the same mistake. We have the technology. Politicians just need to recognise the urgency, step up, and intervene,’ he added. ‘That’s why we’re on the streets.’
The Rector of Wyke Regis the Rev’d Br Alasdair Kay CFC will take part in this action.
He said, “my Parish has within its boundary the UNESCO world heritage site of Chesil Beach. To not stand up for the ecological wellbeing of my Parish would be a dereliction of my duties as a Parish Priest.
I am also a Governor of Wyke Federation and Chaplain to All Saints School. The future of the children in my parish is in real danger due to Climate Change.
We have talked about Climate Change for 30 years with inadequate action to cut carbon emissions. The time of talking is drawing to a close. Sadly I find myself along with other activists being compelled by the inaction of government to take the route of Non Violent Direct Action.
This application for a waste incinerator is a bad thing and I will take action with a clear conscience. I apologise for the inconvenience caused however the command of Christ to Love my Neighbour calls me to act.”
Portland Stop The Burn Protest details:
https://www.facebook.com/Stop-The-Burn-Portland-Dorset-101801812267449/
March against incineration on Saturday 16 October gathering 10am on the green beside Victoria Square roundabout, Portland
https://facebook.com/events/s/march-against-incineration/190305609841748/
General information:
Stop the Burn campaign: https://www.facebook.com/stoptheburnUK/
Edmonton incinerator: https://stop-edmonton-incinerator.org/faq/
Greenpeace on plastics and incineration: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/plastic-recycling-export-incineration/UKWIN: https://ukwin.org.uk/
XR Zero Waste:
https://www.xrzerowaste.uk/
Zero Waste Europe: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/
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