Biomonitoring data shows food across Europe is alarmingly polluted near waste (co)incinerators
Brussels, 11 April 2024 – New evidence published by Zero Waste Europe and ToxicoWatch Foundation on biomonitoring research on waste (co)incinerator emissions found high levels of pollutants in food near the facilities.... : Link here
Paris 2023: Dioxin Contaminated Eggs
On the 20th of April 2023, Millions of Parisians were advised to not eat their own backyard eggs throughout the Paris region owing to high dioxin levels. The cause? Dioxin emissions from a local incinerator. Emissions from the incinerator had been monitored previously, and given the plants monitoring program and technologically advanced pollution control technology, the dioxin levels were thought to be below thresholds. However, subsequent testing by an independent third party revealed much higher than expected dioxin concentrations... : Link here
Incineration Backlash in Europe
For decades some countries in continental Europe have followed a path of incinerating some of their waste.. but resistance has been growing steadily, and for good reason.
Incinerators are being shut down around the world - in Germany, the mixed solid waste-fed Burgau plant was closed in 2015 due to climate and safety considerations. Denmark plans to cut its incinerator capacity by 30% (closing 7 incinerators) over the next decade, otherwise they can't meet their climate change targets. Other plants are failing due to technical/engineering issues.
In February two further plants in the United Kingdom closed due to technical failure. Now the European Commission is acting to push for legislation in a new direction to deal with waste and emissions for the European bloc Link here
2021 Ecological contamination in the Czech Republic
Toxico Watch reports on its monitoring results of an incinerator in the Czech Republic here
UK: Your carefully sorted Recycling can Go Up in Smoke (2021)
In the UK, millions of tonnes of carefully sorted recycling is getting burnt in incinerators, find out here.
Waste Incineration = expensive energy generation
Find out why waste incineration is one of the most expensive forms of energy generation here
Check out the Eunomia Report on Waste to Energy Plants in NZ
The Waikato Regional Council and Tauranga Regional Council commissioned a report on Waste to Energy Plants in New Zealand, available here
Dr Paul Connett, Professor of Chemistry (Retired)
Dr Connett has generously provided his knowledge on incinerators from over 30 years of research to DBW. His assistance and work has helped communites stop over 300 incinerators in the United States, as well as in New Zealand back in 1997 with the proposed Olivine incinerator at Meremere. His presentation to a public DBW meeting in Te Awamutu can be viewed here.