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Incinerators are one of the largest sources of dioxin, which is one of the most toxic chemicals known. They produce highly toxic ash that ends up in landfills leaching into the waterways and soil.
Despite what industry and governments sometimes want people to believe, incineration is not a solution to the world's waste problems – it is part of the problem. The only way to improve the situation is to avoid toxic waste production by improving our products and processes and, of course, to produce less waste in the first place.
International perspectives on the responsibilities of corporations are changing and companies are increasingly expected to be held accountable financially and morally for their actions.
Public opposition to incineration is growing worldwide and people recognise that there is no place for the incineration of waste in a sustainable society. Because there is no safe dose of dioxin, there must be no permitted dioxin contamination, therefore incineration must be stopped.
There are alternatives to incineration. Non-hazardous waste can be dealt with using the principals of reducing, reusing and recycling. Dioxin formation can be avoided and regulatory requirements for the treatment of medical, hazardous and quarantine waste can be met by cleaner treatment technologies such as steam sterilisation. For example, there are already two non-incineration treatment facilities for quarantine and medical waste operating in Wellington and Auckland.
Despite what industry and governments sometimes want people to believe, incineration is not a solution to the world's waste problems – it is part of the problem. The only way to improve the situation is to avoid toxic waste production by improving our products and processes and, of course, to produce less waste in the first place.
International perspectives on the responsibilities of corporations are changing and companies are increasingly expected to be held accountable financially and morally for their actions.
Public opposition to incineration is growing worldwide and people recognise that there is no place for the incineration of waste in a sustainable society. Because there is no safe dose of dioxin, there must be no permitted dioxin contamination, therefore incineration must be stopped.
There are alternatives to incineration. Non-hazardous waste can be dealt with using the principals of reducing, reusing and recycling. Dioxin formation can be avoided and regulatory requirements for the treatment of medical, hazardous and quarantine waste can be met by cleaner treatment technologies such as steam sterilisation. For example, there are already two non-incineration treatment facilities for quarantine and medical waste operating in Wellington and Auckland.
