Armenia. The Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment joined the Global Day of Action on Waste and Incineration through a series of information dissemination activities. Emma Anakhasyan did a lecture on Waste Incineration and Safe Alternatives in AUA attended by students and faculty members of the university. On July 14, Elena Manyelvan had an interview about the issue of incineration on a national radio program. Their Press release on GAIA’s report Waste Incineration: A dying Technology was published by “Noyan Tapan”, an Armenian mass media company. To know more about the activity, e-mail: Elena Manyelvan or visit:
www.awhhe.am

Belarus. The Foundation for the Realization of Ideas organized a street action in the center of Minsk against incineration of plastic waste and a proposal to build a new incinerator near Minsk. The group distributed more than 260 paper bags with a phrase "choose NO plastic" with basic information describing dangers of plastic waste incineration and alternative solutions to incineration. All bags were made by volunteers of FRI from old newspapers and magazines, printed on environmentally-friendly paper. They also organized a consultation with the community members on different waste issues.

The group also launched GAIA’s Report "Waste Incineration: A Dying Technology" on that day. Likewise, Eugeniy Lobanov, coordinator of FRI anti-toxic campaign presented the report in a meeting of experts on sustainable development.

The Russian summary of the report was sent to all main news agencies, NGOs, UNDP, state organizations, dealing with waste management.

For more information, please e-mail Eugeniy Lobanow

Russia. Greenpeace Russia launched an action at the headquarters of Ecotechprom, a state company and owner of the three incinerator plants in Moscow.

Greenpeace activists demonstrated an alternative way of treating municipal or household waste, i.e. selective waste collection for recycling. To the entrance to the Ecotechprom office building they brought an ordinary container with garbage, poured it on the pavement and sorted the garbage dividing it into paper, plastic, glass, metal, textile, organic and other waste. At the same time Greenpeace climbers hanged a banner on the façade of the building reading “Burning Waste – Burning Money! Stop Incinerating Money!”.

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Volgograd, Russia. Volgograd-Ekopress participated in the Global Day of Action on Waste and Incineration through information dissemination on pollution and waste incineration. The activity aim to correct people’s misconception that burning makes wastes disappear. Students from Volgograd participated in the information drive last July 14.

Turkey. Greenpeace activists blocked the entrance of Izaydas Clinical and Hazardous Waste Incinerator today in Izmit with symbolic waste barrels and a 4 metre long wooden "banner" reading "BAN THE BURN". They prevented the trucks carrying toxic waste from entering the plant. The visual was a big skull symbolising the slow and sure death caused by incineration. Activists were attached to the barrels with steel arm pipes.

Other Greenpeace activists occupied the bunker unit inside the plant by climbing on the cranes that feed the combustion chamber with solid wastes at a temperature of 1200 degrees Centigrade. IZAYDAS management acted extremely irresponsible by moving the cranes with activists attached to them and causing the activists to be exposed to hazardous wastes. The plant should have been stopped properly with emergency procedures and it is scandalous that nothing was done at the plant to decontaminate the activists and the gendarme who were exposed to toxic waste. They needed to be decontaminated immediately. Instead, they were held for half an hour at the site with no doctor or any treatment and decontaminated only at the police station.

read press release>

Armenia. The Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment will conduct public
awareness campaign on POPs and incineration through radio and TV
announcements.

Belarus. The Foundation for the Realization of Ideas (FRI) is planning a street action to stop a proposed incinerator project in Minsk. There will also be a roundtable discussion on waste incineration and POPs with media representatives. The FRI is supporting the global launch of the GAIA Report "Waste Incineration: A Dying Technology," the summary of which has been translated into Russian by FRI.

Belgium. The Belgian Platform Environment and Health is joining the global release of the GAIA Report "Waste Incineration: A Dying Technology."

Bulgaria. Anastas Staikov and Vaska Prostova from Smolian, Bulgaria are planning to do a clean up of some polluted areas in the area and visit schools to raise students' understanding of environmental problems.

The Ecological Organization "New Bulgaria" is also taking part in the GDA 2003.

Czech Republic. Arnika will target three incinerators for the Global Day of Action. In the first incinerator, there will be an action in front of the facility.

In the second incinerator, activists will put up a sign that says "source of dangerous carcinogenic substances." And in the third incinerator, activists will collect signatures for a petition that will be later submitted to the city mayor.

Hnuti Duta will support Arnika's plans for the GDA.

The Health Care Without Harm-Europe will launch the HCWH database on non-incineration treatment technologies for health care waste on 14 July 2003.

Denmark. Greenpeace Nordic will introduce the GAIA report on waste incineration via
a press release.

France. Greenpeace France is launching a database on incineration in France, covering 80 existing incinerators and 10 proposed facilities, to boost the anti-incineration network. The database will not only contain emission data, but also information on the groups fighting each incinerator, stories around the incinerator and independent observations. The launch will be on 11 July as 14 July is French national day. Greenpeace France has also translated into French the summary of GAIA waste incineration report.

The Mouvement pour les Droits et le Respect des Generations Futures (MDRGF) is lobbying the French government to ratify the Stockholm Convention on POPs, and will also lobby delegates at the INC7 in Geneva.

Georgia. The Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth, Georgia is participating in the global day of action against wasting and burning.

Germany. Ingo Godeke and Prof. Otmar Wassermann will issue a press release on the occasion of the GAIA Global Day of Action. Ingo Godeke has translated into German the GAIA report on waste incineration, which will be made available to environmentalists, policy makers and other concerned individuals.

Ireland. Various local activities by the communities affected by the proposed hazardous waste incinerator project at Cork will be held under the banner of Chase Harbour Area for a Safe Environment.

The Irish Doctors Environmental Association, one of the groups opposed to the planned construction of incinerators in the country, is also joining the GDA 2003.

Italy. Greenpeace Italy, in coordination with local groups, will release an "Incinerator Kit" for the use and benefit of affected communities. The Kit will contain information on incineration, including a powerpoint presentation on this issue, lobby documents, leaflets, the summary of the
GAIA waste incineration report in Italian and other materials.

Lithuania. The Lithuanian Green Movement/Friends of the Earth is joining the GDA 2003.

Macedonia. The Macedonian Association of Doctors for the Environment plans to hold a
workshop on medical waste management in the country that will discuss, among other issues, the health impacts of burning waste on children.

Poland. The Waste Prevention Association has translated into Polish the summary of the GAIA Report "Waste Incineration: A Dying Technology" and will issue a press release on the Global Day of Action.

Russia. Greenpeace Russia is planning an activity to press for the conversion of an incineration plant into a recycling and composting facility.

The NGO RIA "21 vek" is planning some activities to discuss and stop environmentally destructive methods of managing waste, particularly by burning.

The Eco-Accord is also joining the GDA 2003.

Slovenia. Umanotera will issue a statement on waste and incineration, with particular reference on the municipal solid waste incinerator being planned in Slovenia.

Spain. The Foro Ciudadano contra la Incineración de Tenerife will gather in front of the City Hall for a recycling party that will feature a recycling activity for kids, singing and storytelling. The group plans to issue a fact sheet on incineration and also a press release.

The Ecologistas en Acción, Periodismo para Elevar la Conciencia Ecológica and the Plataforma Anti-Incineradora de Valdemingomez are also participating in the Global Day of Action.

Turkey. Greenpeace Mediterranean has prepared a Turkish version of the summary of the GAIA report on waste incineration. Plans are being prepared for the GDA on 14 July 2003.

Ukraine. The MAMA-86 Kharkov, together with the Coalition of Ukrainian Ecological NGOs "Alter-Eco", are lobbying the Verchovna Rada (the parliament) to ratify the Stockholm Convention. MAMA-86 Kharkov is also planning a campaign on health and environmental rights with lectures on POPs, obsolete pesticides and health risks.