Please Endorse
Zero Waste World Cup 2010

We, representatives of various non-governmental and civil society organizations working on environment, health and development issues are honored to endorse the call for a Zero Waste World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Zero Waste seeks to eliminate waste, reduce the volume and toxicity of materials used, and reclaim, reuse, recycle or compost discarded materials. Zero Waste is a goal, a philosophy, a design principle, a process, a whole system approa ch, which aims to
conserve the earth’s diminishing resources, prevent rather than manage waste, convert discarded materials into products and jobs instead of trash, and replace incinerators, landfills and dumps with sustainable enterprises that offer employment and foster local self-reliance.

We believe that implementing a Zero Waste strategy at the World Cup will yield positive results for South Africa’s environment and economy, and secure a place for the country as leader in green sporting events. A Zero Waste World Cup will further:
* Affirm the goal of Zero Waste by 2022 as adopted at South Africa’s first National Waste Summit (Polokwane Declaration, September 2001).

* Uphold the demands put forward by Southern African NGOs for governments to implement non-incineration waste solutions that promote waste minimization, prevention, reuse and recycling (Isipingo Declaration, April 2002).
* Serve the people’s environmental and health rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of South Africa (Section 24).

We call upon the organizers to build on the experience of the Korea Zero Waste Movement in organizing the “wasteless” Word Cup 2002 in South Korea, which registered a 43% waste reduction rate.

Furthermore, we implore the organizers to emulate and enhance the successful implementation of Zero Waste at the Global Forum of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg by Earthlife Africa and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, which diverted over 80% of generated waste away from landfills and incinerators.

Finally, we urge the government departments, sports associations, environmental groups, corporate sponsors and other concerned citizens and athletes to come together and rise up to the challenge of making the World Cup 2010 in South Africa a Zero Waste celebration of the human spirit to unite and succeed.

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