United Kingdom Without Incineration Network

UK campaigners are joining anti-incinerastion campaigners around the world for a Global Day of Action against waste and incineration.

For example, the Breathe Clean Air Group based in Urmston, Greater Manchester is calling upon supporters to burn calories not waste. They are holding “a walk to save the human race” protest march on Saturday 1st October 2011. The Group objects to the proposed Barton incinerator. The March sets off at 11 am from Golden Hill Park, next to Urmston shopping centre, and will cover a 2 mile circular walk along the footpaths of Urmston.

Breathe Clean Air Group‘s Chairman Pete Kilvert said:

We are walking along footpaths because we haven’t got police support for walking along the roads. We will make left turns only and we won’t cross over any major roads. We hope to get about 1,000 marchers taking part in this family day of action. The Breathe Clean Air Group is opposed to all biomass plants and incinerators throughout the UK. We are concerned about the tiny particles of toxic pollution that can drift on the breeze, meaning none of us are safe until they are all outlawed.

To mark the Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives (GAIA) Global Day of Action against waste and incineration Ivybridge (Devon) residents and EcoIvy have laid floral tributes at the site of the proposed 270,000 tonne incinerator at Lee Mill near Ivybridge. Local residents sympathise with communities in the UK and worldwide who are already living with the far reaching negative effects of mass burn incineration.

EcoIvy spokes person Charlotte Mills said:

We are concerned for our families, friends and neighbours who will be affected directly and indirectly by the proposals for a huge incinerator burning commercial and industrial waste on our door step and the incinerator. Residents have good reason to be concerned. The Lee Mill incinerator will be less than 300 meters from the nearest homes and less than two miles from Ivybridge. Another incinerator is proposed for Devonport in Plymouth city that proposes to burn south Devon’s household waste.

Mills said:

This appears to be a local problem that is repeated nationally. Planning applications and proposals for incinerators are popping up all over the country. All of these are feircly opposed by residents, businesses and environmental groups.

GAIA’s Global Day of Action is designed to highlight Zero Waste solutions to the problems associated with incineration. Under the heading: No public funds for dirty energy GAIA members around the world are calling for an end to public subsidies for waste incineration, and are looking instead for financial resources to support community-led, job-generating and climate-friendly solutions to waste and toxic pollution.

Joan Marc Simon, GAIA Coordinator for Europe explains:

Incineration is very expensive, creates very few jobs, wastes energy, delays the fight against global warming, it destroys finite resources and is non-sustainable. It is outrageous that public money should support this industry. We don’t have either the money or time to waste on this dead end solution. The money would be far better spent on a ambitious effort to move our throwaway societies to a Zero Waste future. Instead of burning the residual fraction we need to make it very visible and say to industry: ‘If we can’t reuse it, recycle it or compost it, industry shouldn’t be making it’.

UK Campaigners are also being urged to sign the online petition to instigate a tax on waste incineration in the hope that this will encourage local authorities and waste companies to provide better facilities for reuse and recycling of waste.