BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Environmental groups gathered in the Anti-Incineration Citizens Coalition, expressed concern at the proliferation of projects to generate energy from burning waste or alternative technologies, in cases like the city of Villa María, Córdoba , or the Party of the Slaughter and the City of La Plata, province of Buenos Aires.

"Argentina as a signatory of the Stockholm Convention should have a clear policy against waste incineration is an important source of generation of dioxins and furans and other toxic substances like heavy metals," said Cecilia Bianco, secretary of the Coalition. "The burning in any of its variants is not the solution to the problem of poor waste management, is a source of pollution and is a waste of resources and energy, also hinder the development of environmentally safe alternatives such as the reuse, recycling , composting and bio-digestion, "Lorena Pujó completed, a member of the campaign against pollution of Greenpeace.

As of 1 December, is celebrated on Wednesday the 9th Day of Action against Waste and Incineration, coordinated by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), an international network that seeks to eliminate all forms of waste incineration and promote clean production, zero waste goal and international environmental justice.

Organizations of the Coalition, which is part of GAIA, spoke in favor of the adoption of Zero Waste strategies, and declared that "have the potential to create jobs and protect the environment, public health and power livelihoods of those living in the recovery of materials. " "The draft called 'energy recovery' of waste through conventional incineration, gasification, pyrolysis or plasma, and the production of" refuse derived fuel '- often promoted and funded incentive program to' renewables' - are incompatible with strategies oriented Overcome zero waste goal, "said their representatives.

"Waste incineration pollutes the air, water, soil and food, can cause health damage even at low doses, particularly as they affect the hormone systems and some chemicals, like dioxin TCDD, are proven human carcinogens according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, "said biologist Raúl Montenegro, Foundation for Environmental Defense.

The Coalition also warned on waste management projects based on technologies in the experimental stage as the 'catalytic depolymerization ", which aim, for example, to the municipality of La Matanza. According to the organization "is an unproven technology for the scale and type of waste is to be treated here."

Faced with these challenges, highlighted the growing importance and achievements of organized citizens' movements against incineration, which managed the closure of many facilities for these processes.

Zero Waste strategies aimed at reducing the generation of waste and discarded materials recovered through recycling, composting and recycling. In addition to these measures, zero waste plans are aimed at intervening in the production process so as to reduce the use of materials and manufacture long-lasting and reusable, recyclable or compostable. One strategy for this is the Extended Producer Responsibility, a policy instrument that requires companies to take responsibility for their waste products.

"This type of policy has been very successful in countries that applied, it is urgent the enactment of national laws of Extended Producer Responsibility for solving complex waste such as electrical and electronics, and other like containers and packaging. "environmentalists argued.

The Coalition has joined the international call to abandon incineration and zero waste strategies to support and added that it is imperative that Argentina is recovering circuits develop materials and policies to reduce waste generation, and start to incinerate municipal waste will check those strategies.

Anti-incineration Coalition comprises more than 50 organizations and professionals across the country and is part of the International Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Waste GAIA. For 15 years he worked to reject the incineration of municipal waste, hospital and industry in Argentina.

More information:
http://noalaincineracion.org/