Controversy on Waste: To Burn or Not to Burn? 

Controversy on Waste: To Burn or Not to Burn?

Canada in the Spotlight as Host of Plastics Treaty Negotiations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 4, 2024

While Canada is set to host the next round of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations April 23-29, Canadian groups are raising an alarm about the expansion of waste incineration across the country. Dubbed “waste-to-energy” (WTE) by industry, burning waste through methods like incineration, gasification and pyrolysis is a practice that would undermine federal climate, plastics, and waste management policies.

“Canada has goals to end plastic pollution and stop climate change. That means we must close the door to polluting and wasteful garbage incineration,” said Karen Wirsig, Plastics Senior Program Manager at Environmental Defence. “Incineration poses real risks to the environment and human health. Plus, garbage is not a clean or ‘renewable’ energy source and incinerators have been found to emit more greenhouse gasses per unit of electricity than fossil fuels.”

The Town of Pontiac, Quebec, is fighting a proposal for a new waste incinerator to burn garbage from the City of Ottawa, where the treaty negotiations will take place. Other incinerator proposals are surfacing in Brampton, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta, among others.

The rise in incinerator proposals follows a report released last year by the federal government and shared with municipal officials that suggests incineration is a climate-friendly approach to waste management. That federal report was recently debunked by research commissioned by Zero Waste BC and GAIA.

Incineration threatens efforts to establish Canada as a leader in tackling plastic pollution, climate change and diversion of organics.

Analysis by the Canadian Zero Waste Coalition shows that:

Report author and environmental engineer Belinda Li, noted, “it is very important that our government supports real solutions like waste prevention and reduction and not costly distractions such as WTE. If we prevent waste from being generated in the first place, we can extend the life of our landfills and make the best use of our existing infrastructure.”

The floundering of experimental WTE plants offers cautionary tales to other communities. “Across Canada incinerators have proven to be costly failures that waste millions of dollars in taxpayer funding, exceed emission limits, never meet operational targets, and delay municipalities from taking actions that would actually reduce and divert organics and post-consumer goods,” says Liz Benneian, founder of the Ontario Zero Waste Coalition. 

For instance, from its inauguration in 2008, until it declared bankruptcy in 2015, the Plasco incinerator in Ottawa burned through $13.5 million in federal and provincial funding plus $8 million per year in municipal subsidies. The plant had numerous operational issues, processed only one third of the waste it promised and racked up 25 records of noncompliance with emission regulations.

More than three-quarters of waste disposed in Canada could have been avoided, recycled, or composted. “Local governments are setting ambitious zero waste targets, but when we burn waste, those goals go up in smoke,” said Sue Maxwell, chair of Zero Waste BC and former municipal councillor. “Proactive municipalities are reducing their waste through zero waste policies and programs.”

“Europe is often cited as a model for WTE but the European Union is turning away from WTE and major European financial institutions have pulled funding from WTE projects,” notes Janek Vähk, Zero Pollution Policy Manager for Zero Waste Europe. “Meanwhile, the EU has established an ambitious target of halving total residual waste by 2030 and WTE would lock in generation of waste over time to keep the incinerators running.”

WTE facilities are often particularly harmful to environmental justice communities. 

“Fenceline communities are badly impacted by particulates and other hazardous air emissions, in addition to truck traffic” noted Dr. Neil Tangri, Science and Policy Director at GAIA,  “Some of the worst impacts are felt in the far north, where First Nations bear extremely high body burdens of persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins from incinerators that biomagnify in the food chain.” 

As all eyes look to Canada later this month, over 40 environmental groups across the country implore the country to be a true leader and reject WTE in favor of zero waste solutions. (link to action page)

For more information about this campaign and to access the coalition’s publications, please visit https://www.no-burn.org/stopping-waste-to-energy-in-canada/ 

CONTACT

Claire Arkin, Global Communications Lead: claire@no-burn.org | +1 973 444 4869

About the Coalition:

The Canadian Zero Waste Coalition is a coalition of environmental groups including the Ontario Zero Waste Coalition, Zero Waste BC, GAIA, Environmental Defence, Zero Waste Canada, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Durham Environment Watch, Waste Watch Ottawa, and Citizens of the Pontiac.

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About the Campaign

Canada is among the most wasteful countries in the world and most of the waste could be avoided, recycled or composted. Canada has goals to decrease waste by 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2040, to end plastic waste by 2040, and to reduce landfill methane emissions by 50% by 2030. , Reaching even these goals will require ambitious and immediate actions to reduce waste. 

Waste to Energy (WTE) (sometimes called energy from waste) includes different technologies for disposing waste through a high-temperature process such as mass burn incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis. WTE is portrayed as a “climate-friendly” solution for waste management because of the avoided methane emission from landfilling and energy generation potential, however it emits more greenhouse gases than modern landfills when a full accounting of all GHGs is made. Waste minimization is a far better choice for the climate than either landfills or WTE.

Many communities are approached by incineration/thermal technology companies with proposals to build Waste to Energy (WTE) facilities for waste disposal. Local government staff and elected officials, who review these proposals, may not have comprehensive knowledge about WTE or the expertise to thoroughly evaluate these proposals. 

Recently, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) commissioned a report on Waste to Energy, meant for local governments to use as a guide. This report painted WTE in a favourable light due to a narrow focus. In response to the federal paper, research was conducted for a coalition of environmental non-profit groups using a broader lens to better understand alternatives. 

This webpage is intended to support better actions to tackle waste that reduce the climate, biodiversity, toxics and cost impacts. Further tools and opportunities to take action will be added as they are developed. For more information, please email Aditi Varshneya, GAIA US Canada’s Network Development Coordinator, at aditi@no-burn.org.

Call to Action

Join 40+ organizations from across Canada and sign our petition calling on the Government of Canada, provinces and territories, and local governments to end waste incineration in Canada. 

 

Read the petition, sign on, and see the list of signatory organizations here
Read the press release

Resources

Climate Impacts from Waste to Energy – the Whole Picture

A more fulsome climate analysis of the federal study shows that not only are waste minimization strategies far better for the environment, but cost less as well. Properly managed landfills have lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than the total GHG emissions from WTE, but waste minimization has the most benefits.

Read

Cautionary Tales: Examples from Across Canada 

The federal study also mentioned several examples of thermal treatment of waste. It did not show the many cases where pursuit of these technologies was unsuccessful or resulted in financial, environmental and social issues for the communities. Communities need to understand the risks.

Read

Metro Vancouver – a Case Study 

An analysis of Metro Vancouver’s waste management over the duration of its last solid waste management plan was conducted, looking at waste volumes, costs and GHGs. Results show that a focus on zero waste strategies were successful and cost-effective while incineration was costly with high GHG emissions.

Read

Waste Incineration – What It Is, Why It Is Practiced, Implications and Zero Waste Alternatives

There are many reasons beyond GHGs, cost and effectiveness why WTE is not a solution. These are outlined here, along with an alternative solutions.

Read

The No Burn Broome Campaign for Health and Environmental Protection

Endicott residents protest outside of the proposed SungEel lithium-ion battery recycling plant. — Photo courtesy of Dr. Paul Connett

In Endicott, Broome County, NY, a community-led campaign achieved a remarkable victory against the construction of a battery-burning facility, illustrating the power of collective action in the fight for environmental justice. The No Burn Broome campaign’s success in defeating a proposal for a lithium-ion battery recycling facility holds a profound significance for a community that had previously endured a decades-long legacy of pollution. Beyond this local triumph, this success also carries profound significance in the broader struggle to foster a just energy transition.  

SungEel MCC Americas, a joint South Korean and American company, proposed to build a lithium-ion battery recycling plant at 801 Clark Street in conjunction with a battery storage facility on South Franklin Street — close to a residential community, Union Endicott Schools, a grocery store, a pharmacy, churches, restaurants, baseball fields, and a park. The SungEel facility proposed to burn spent lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles and power packs from phones and other electronic devices.

Despite community opposition, New York state was prepared to invest $1.75 million into the project to set up in the former IBM complex in Endicott, Broome County. The Empire State Development (ESD) intended to finance a project with taxpayers’ money that promised little to no financial gain to the people of Endicott. The extracted valuable metals and much of the profit would have left the country, ultimately benefiting SungEel and a handful of investors. 

The facility would have processed 1 ton of lithium-ion batteries per hour, 12 hours a day, using incineration to recover expensive metals, such as cobalt and nickel, in the fly ash. This ash would have then been transported to South Korea for further processing. According to a Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives report, ash, air emissions, and toxic wastewater from incinerators pollute the ecosystem and harm human health. 

On March 30, 2020, the state issued an Air State Facility Permit to SungEel MCC Americas, outlining that the battery-burning facility would be “permitted” to emit at least four known carcinogens and other toxins. Though the Science Team of the No Burn Broome campaign was not included in the air permit process, they did reveal that the project may release Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” into the atmosphere. The No Burn Broome team revealed that SungEel failed to disclose toxic PFAS in its air permit application. The No Burn Broome Science Team also determined that the facility could emit other toxic substances, including dioxins, furans, hydrogen fluoride, toxic metals, nanoparticles, and more.

The Village of Endicott had historically suffered negative health impacts due to decades of industrial pollution from the former IBM complex. IBM, which employed a large workforce in Endicott, had discharged enormous amounts of Trichloroethylene (TCE) into the ground. This blatant pollution established the town as one of the most prominent examples of vapor intrusion, a phenomenon where volatile chemicals migrate from deep underground into the indoor air of buildings, primarily affecting residential homes. Endicott had already experienced a disproportionate incidence of cancer, and the SungEel plant would have been authorized to emit carcinogenic chemicals and pollutants.

Endicott resident wearing a shirt in protest of the SungEel battery-burning facility. — Photo courtesy of Dr. Paul Connett

At the risk of being subjected to another polluting facility’s environmental and health impacts, Broome County residents rallied behind Paul Connett’s passionate call to action against the battery-burning facility. His expertise as a retired chemistry professor and his years of dedication to environmental campaigning enabled him to galvanize communities across the region to block the plant from being built. 

Despite the Endicott Village mayor’s discouraging comment about the proposal being a “done deal” early on, local residents who allied themselves under the No Burn Broome campaign didn’t give up; they fought back by organizing rallies and protests, speaking at a public hearing, and writing to political leaders and the Board of Trustees. The organizers also formed a science group that found out about the PFAS releases and spread the word through social media and by placing signs of opposition throughout the village. This campaign was a successful organizing model that brought together people of all ages and walks of life, as well as experts from many fields. Their online anti-incineration petition was signed by 4,500 supporters, and the Facebook group has 2,000 anti-incinerator followers.

“Other than the atrocious location of the facility, the thing that stands out in my mind is that bearing in mind the health risks involved, just how little science was offered by the company. They claimed to have operated a facility in Korea for eight years and yet had only ONE dioxin measurement, with no third-party oversight. Even so, the NY Department of Environment Conservation (DEC) accepted this without requiring any further analysis! That was clear evidence in my mind that there was a political push behind this project,” said Dr. Paul Connett, Professor Emeritus in Environmental Chemistry at St. Lawrence University.

On February 1, 2021, No Burn Broome succeeded in blocking the controversial recycling law first passed on May 7, 2020. Thanks to a momentous turnout, 113 participants (primarily community members) were present, with an overwhelming 41 out of 42 people advocating for the repeal of the law known as “A Local Law Prohibiting Recycling Facilities in Industrial Zones,” which was ultimately rescinded by Endicott’s Board of Trustees. 

No Burn Broome’s victory stands as an inspiring example for future environmental justice fights driven by the relentless organizing efforts of Endicott residents. As we navigate the complexities of this transition, particularly with the imminent end-of-life phase for batteries, it is imperative that we remain vigilant against industry practices that disguise burning as recycling. This win demonstrates the impact of collective action in preserving the fundamental human right to clean air and ensuring our energy transition is rooted in justice.

Timeline of key events

9/27/2018 — Empire State Development announces $1.75 Million to build a new lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Endicott, Broome County.

3/30/2020 — Permit granted by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

5/7/2020 — 57 anti-incinerator residents spoke against it at a public hearing on recycling law.

9/2/2020 — Press Conference on Updated Position Paper by No Burn Broome.

9/16/2020 — The No Burn Broome Science team revealed that nearly all of the batteries that will be processed in the facility contain PFAS and called on the DEC to revoke SungEel’s Air permit.

11/16/2020 — Endicott Residents filed an Article 78 Lawsuit Against the Village Board of Trustees for Illegally Approving Controversial Recycling Code.

2/1/2021 — Recycling law was rescinded by the Board of Trustees. 

At a time when environmental injustices like the disproportionate siting of incinerators in marginalized areas continue to undermine the well-being of vulnerable communities, grassroots organizations play a pivotal role in galvanizing local efforts to fuel a larger movement. Driven by education, youth engagement, and alliance-building, these groups dismantle injustices and build on a broader movement toward climate justice. These organizations are often led by those directly affected by injustice who have leveraged their knowledge of the local community to enact real change. With our planet’s many interconnected challenges, grassroots organizations are the backbone of transformative efforts. They go beyond their environmental focus to engage in cross-movement building, fostering a web of collaborations that extends their impact into other spaces like housing and human rights. Collectively, they reshape narratives, challenge systemic disparities, and collaboratively bring about lasting transformation in the realm of environmental justice.

One example of cross-movement building is the work of KT Morelli, Organizer at Breathe Free Detroit, who is involved in anti-gentrification efforts to ensure that community members are not pushed out of their homes. Successful environmental justice campaigns, such as shutting down the Detroit Incinerator in 2019, can also lead to “environmental gentrification,” in which a neighborhood becomes more attractive to developers. In collaboration with local housing groups, Breathe Free Detroit developed “Rooted We Rise: A Resource Guide to Help Detroiters Stay in our Homes and Strengthen our Neighborhoods,” an anti-gentrification guide with resources distributed through door-to-door outreach in areas near the incinerator. 

Similarly, the South Baltimore Community Land Trust spearheads efforts to halt evictions, establish affordable housing, and introduce sustainable waste practices through Community Land Trusts (CLTs). With the second-highest eviction rate in the US and burdened by long-standing racial and economic inequalities, Baltimore’s vacant lots bring over 10,000 tons of illegally dumped trash annually. Though the city has committed $20 million into a trust fund for CLTs, residents are already taking proactive steps such as reclaiming lots, initiating community composting, and drawing up plans for affordable housing units. As noted in GAIA’s Zero Waste Master Plan: “Anti-displacement efforts are key to making sure those who successfully fought against environmental injustices are able to remain in their homes, reap the benefits of their victory, and continue growing power in their communities.”

The essence of movement building lies in uniting individuals and communities to strengthen their collective power, a principle embodied by initiatives like the Failing Incinerators Project (FIP). Through FIP, grassroots organizations from all over the country coalesce to share insights and practical strategies to shut down their respective incinerators and make a just transition to zero waste. GAIA offers these organizations capacity-building support, including communications, research, and technical assistance. By forging these collaborative bonds, frontline organizations in the FIP cohort reinforce each other’s campaigns, build shared momentum, and strengthen the larger environmental justice movement.

In Newark, the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA) and Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) synergize their efforts to shut down incinerators in the Garden State. As a result of their collaboration, both organizations engage and educate legislators and public officials who may not be familiar with the language and policy concepts related to “chemical recycling” and Extended Producer Responsibility. Both organizations have deepened their collaboration through the continuation of Incineration 101 workshops for communities in Newark and for ICC’s staff. Last year, NJEJA held its Second Annual Waste Justice Assembly, which brought together many EJ groups from around the state to discuss a just transition to a waste-free New Jersey. In collaboration with EJ Communities Against Incineration Coalition and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, the event explored topics such as the impacts of waste in EJ communities, the harms from the petrochemical industry and their responsibility for the plastic crisis, and organizing tools and advocacy to support communities in a just transition towards healthier waste management systems. 

NJEJA brings grassroots perspectives to the forefront of every plastic reduction policy proposal through its work with the NJ Plastic Coalition. NJEJA has held firm to prohibiting “chemical recycling” or other false solutions within a proposed Extended Producer Responsibility state bill. Most recently, NJEJA has been involved in state-wide advocacy and creating a space to include the engagement and participation of informal waste workers in the discussions, development, and proposal for a New Jersey Bottle Bill. Building powerful movements requires the tireless work of strong leaders who bring an authentic perspective to these conversations informed by the lived experience of those most affected. All of this involvement working alongside other EJ groups in New Jersey, NJEJA’s Statewide EJ Organizer Chris Tandazo was able to bring all of those perspectives to Washington, DC, where they testified before the Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight. In this hearing, Tandazo advocated for implementing laws to reduce plastic use. Such regulations would play a critical role in minimizing the volume of plastic waste potentially destined for disposal in any of New Jersey’s three incineration facilities, all situated within marginalized communities.

Moreover, community involvement is a cornerstone of effective movement building, particularly in the transition toward sustainable zero waste practices. ICC uses “Toxic Tours” to effectively raise community awareness within their community and educate residents on sustainable alternatives, serving as a compelling method for spotlighting the practical implementation of decentralized zero waste systems. Composting at ICC’s urban farm has been the organization’s most tangible zero waste education effort during these Toxic Tours, and staff work with youth and adults to develop composting programs that divert waste from the nearby Covanta incinerator. It has also proven effective for engaging policymakers, advocates, and journalists to explore zero waste solutions that move away from waste incineration.

South Baltimore Community Land Trust has also achieved remarkable success by engaging youth in tackling climate and waste issues by collaborating closely with students, including potential summer hires. The organization has partnered with Clean Water Action to build significant momentum for reintroducing the Reclaim Renewable Energy Act, which would remove trash incineration, factory farm gas, and woody biomass from qualification in the state’s renewable portfolio standard. Notably, this collaboration extends to impactful campaigns to advocate against incineration subsidies and rally various associations and groups to endorse the bill in the upcoming legislative session. Shashawnda Campbell, an organizer of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, is a prime example of a young activist leader who became involved in her community as a high school student. She notes that seeing these students’ impressive growth and advancement, from their initial involvement to their current proactive initiatives, underlines the tremendous impact of involving youth in movement building.

The Minnesota Environmental Justice Table (MNEJT) has exemplified the power of cross-movement collaboration by forging dynamic partnerships with various organizations. MNEJT Environmental Justice Organizer Akira Yano emphasizes that their collaboration with local unions, including the Teamsters Union and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), in a concerted effort toward zero waste initiatives has proven to be mutually beneficial — creating a solid working relationship between MNEJT and these labor groups. The ability to stand in solidarity for each other’s causes strengthens their respective movements, helping them achieve comprehensive and lasting change.

Similarly, MNEJT and CURE have worked in tandem to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) incinerator. With MNEJT at the forefront of the campaign and CURE as a supporting ally, their organizing efforts gained traction when the incinerator lost its renewable energy designation after passing a recent law that represented a major win for the city’s environmental justice movement. Now, MNEJT, alongside community members and organizational allies, is pushing for the incinerator’s closure by 2025. CURE and MNEJT are also partnering to build on the success of the HERC campaign to build opposition to Minnesota’s other large garbage burners. Additionally, a GAIA member, Florida Rising, is working with MNEJT and CURE to bring awareness to the renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by Florida’s Pinellas County incinerator and being purchased by Great River Energy (GRE)—a Minnesota-based rural utility. In essence, this scheme allows GRE to offset dirty megawatt-hours generated from fossil fuels by using RECs coming from the polluting “renewable” energy from Pinellas. The latest law passed during the state’s last legislative session prohibits Minnesota’s HERC incinerator from generating and selling RECs. However, it still allows Minnesota utilities to use RECs from other incinerators like Pinellas to meet their renewable energy obligations.

Across movements and state lines, Breathe Free Detroit demonstrates how thoughtful collaborations can also lead to global movement building. Three years ago, GAIA connected Breathe Free Detroit with the Mother Earth Foundation, a GAIA member in the Philippines. Both organizations formed a collaborative relationship over regular virtual meetings as the Mother Earth Foundation shared their expertise on composting systems. Detroit Composting for Community Health launched a multi-scale citywide composting policy and program development in Detroit due to the success of three community composting pilots. Their ongoing partnership brought Breathe Free Detroit’s KT Morelli to the Philippines in January to see these systems up close and share her story with decision-makers on the decades-long effects incinerators can have on a community. In April, Rap Villavicencio, Program Manager, and Zen Borlongan, National Coordinator from the Mother Earth Foundation, visited Detroit to see first-hand how an incinerator can have lasting damage on a community as residents work to rebuild it. During their visit, they also shared their knowledge of the success of decentralized composting systems in the Philippines with the Detroit City Council’s Green Task Force. Having learned from Detroit’s experience, this partnership comes full circle as the Mother Earth Foundation organizes against an incinerator from being built in Metro Manila.

The journey to rectify environmental injustices demands a multifaceted approach that involves education, alliance-building, and meaningful engagement with the youth. Education and awareness campaigns, vividly demonstrated by activists in the FIP cohort and environmental justice organizers, cast a spotlight on the struggles faced by marginalized communities. As seen with ICC and the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, the growth of young activists from initial involvement to proactive leadership underscores the potency of involving youth in the battle for a cleaner future. Initiatives such as toxic tours and student collaborations educate and empower the next generation to champion environmental justice. Finally, developing collaborative relationships between grassroots organizations is equally important since these groups can inform and build on each other’s movements by sharing strategies. 

The Failing Incinerators Project connects geographically diverse grassroots movements, all sharing a common goal. By strengthening connections across people and organizations, investing in movement building supports local-level campaigning and helps local organizing transcend one community to bolster other movements nationally and abroad.

Who we are

CURE is a Minnesota-based rural, nonprofit organization made up of people who care about the well-being of their neighbors, the health of the land and water, and the legacy we leave for future generations. 

Operating primarily in the Midwest, CURE plays a pivotal role in fostering the national rural electric co-op reform and democratization movement with a comprehensive focus on community organizing, electoral politics, and policy development.

Within their work, CURE dedicates efforts to various areas such as climate, energy, rural environmental justice, water, and fostering a connection between people and nature. Throughout all their projects, a central focus lies on promoting civic engagement, underscoring its significance in driving positive change.

Encouraging Energy Democracy in Rural Communities

CURE is a unique organization with a focus on democracy-driven and rural-based approaches to combating climate, energy, and environmental issues. It operates as a Rural Democracy group, aiming to empower rural communities to address the interconnections between environmental injustice, climate issues, and democracy crises. CURE’s initiatives, like the Energy Democracy program, Rural Democracy Project, and issue-based campaigns, aim to strengthen the political, electoral, and social foundation necessary to tackle environmental challenges and inequalities faced by rural areas.

With a grounded approach, CURE supports the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table-led campaign against the HERC in North Minneapolis. CURE is now working with MNEJ Table to expand the movement against incinerators beyond the Twin Cities and involve various communities in Greater Minnesota affected by harmful energy sources. By focusing on non-metro areas impacted by other incineration facilities, CURE aims to raise awareness and resistance against Minnesota’s over-reliance on incineration for waste management, ultimately paving the way for alternative waste management solutions to landfills and incineration, as well as the transition toward a zero waste system.

What you Can do

Take action! 

Stay connected, join the mailing list!

Follow CURE on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

 

The Basics

Incinerator: Xcel Energy – Wilmarth Plant

Location: 1040 Summit Ave, Mankato, MN 56001

Pounds of pollutants (annually): Data Not Available

Mercury: 2.01

PM2.5: 2,649.29

Lead: 3.48

NOx: Data Not Available

Community: 14% People of Color, 26% Low-Income

Critical Date: (Permit expiration date): not available

Who we are

The New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA) is a statewide alliance of organizations and individuals focused on critical environmental justice issues. NJEJA brings together organizations and individuals committed to bringing about healthier, sustainable, and more just communities. Through education, advocacy, training, policy reviews, and organizing, NJEJA supports community efforts to remediate and rebuild impacted neighborhoods using the community’s vision of improvement.

Addressing Air Pollution, Climate Change, & Energy Policy

NJEJA’s work on incinerators emphasizes the crucial issue of air pollution in the state, with a particular focus on its disproportionate impact on EJ communities. 

In New Jersey, a significant environmental health challenge is air pollution, posing a grave threat, especially to Environmental Justice (EJ) communities, where evidence shows that pollution levels are alarmingly much higher compared to other areas in the state. Among the culprits of this problem is fine particulate matter air pollution, responsible for an estimated 200,000 premature deaths annually in the United States. This deadly pollutant is linked to cardiovascular disease and a variety of pulmonary disorders, including lung cancer, asthma, and reduced lung function, particularly affecting children. 

EJ communities bear the brunt of exposure to numerous sources of air pollution, experiencing the cumulative impacts of various pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM) that contains diesel particulates, criteria air pollutants like ozone and lead, and hazardous air pollutants. The issue of cumulative impacts focuses on developing ways to address multiple sources of pollution in EJ communities. Of most concern are the detrimental impacts that a combination of pollutants can have on the health of community residents. 

NJEJA’s efforts to address this pressing issue of incinerators and air pollution play a vital role in shedding light on these critical matters and their profound consequences for vulnerable communities in New Jersey.

What you Can do

Get involved! 

Stay connected, join the mailing list!

Follow NJEJA on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

 

The Basics

Incinerator: Covanta Essex

Location: 183 Raymond Blvd, Newark, NJ 07105

Pounds of pollutants (annually): total HAPs — 38,076.96 (2020)

Mercury: 11.20

PM2.5: 70,695.00

Lead: 19.40

CO2 BIOMASS (TONS) 2020: 433,466.00

NOx: 1,525,395.00

Community: 76% People of Color, 58% Low-Income

Critical Date: (Permit expiration date): not available

The Basics

Incinerator: Covanta Union, Inc

Location: 1499 US-1, Rahway, NJ 07065

Pounds of pollutants (annually): total HAPs — Data Not Available

Mercury: Data Not Available

PM2.5: Data Not Available

Lead: Data Not Available

CO2 BIOMASS (TONS) 2020: 239,313.00

NOx: Data Not Available

Community: 77% People of Color, 24% Low-Income

Critical Date: (Permit expiration date): not available

The Basics

Incinerator: Covanta Union, Inc

Location: 600 Morgan St, Camden, NJ 08104

Pounds of pollutants (annually): total HAPs — 65,742.65 (2020)

Mercury: Data Not Available

PM2.5: 51,320.00

Lead: 260.00

NOx: 751,520.00

Community: 80% People of Color, 57% Low-Income

Critical Date: (Permit expiration date): not available

The organizer

Chris Tandazo (they/them), Statewide Environmental Justice Organizer

Chris Tandazo (they/them) is a queer person of color, organizer, artist, and visionary. Born in Wuankavilca Territory (Guayaquil) and raised in the Paltas tradition between the shores of the Pacific and the Andes mountains, where they were constantly exposed to vast biocultural diversity, which deepened their connection with Pachamama, the land, and human and non-human kin. These experiences have shaped their worldview, cosmology, and endeavors – which they have carried throughout their organizing and advocacy.

Chris has an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management and a Graduate Minor in Impact Entrepreneurship from The New School. Their work and advocacy focus on the intersections of climate and environmental justice, community building, cooperative entrepreneurship, and decolonization

Headshot of person looking at camera in front of a green brick wall.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) channels $270 billion in tax credits for climate investments but raises concerns about incineration—a false solution to waste disposal that could generate 637.7 million tonnes of CO2e emissions over two decades, further harming the environment and disadvantaged communities.

By: Marcel Howard (Zero Waste Program Manager, US/Canada) and Jessica Roff (Plastics & Petrochemicals Program Manager, US/Canada)

Key Highlights

  • The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is primarily a tax bill. Of the promised $369 billion in climate investments, $270 billion will come in the form of tax credits1
  • Incineration is one of the most polluting and expensive waste disposal systems. Industry2 often greenwashes incineration as  “waste-to-energy”3 despite producing minimal amounts of usable energy and massive energy input
  • By measuring the lifecycle climate impacts of incineration accurately, the Department of the Treasury can deny polluting facilities billions in tax credits intended for actual sustainable energy solutions and ultimately delay or block their construction or expansion
  • If industry succeeds in propping up incinerators for 20 years, they will produce 637.7 million tonnes of climate-change-inducing CO2e emissions and further exacerbate toxic pollution and environmental racism4
  • Pairing new subsidies for incinerators with incentives for EVs is perverse
  • Turning waste, including fossil fuel-derived plastics, into jet fuel is dangerous and does not decarbonize air travel 
  • Two-thirds of US incinerators are located in states that include incineration in their renewable energy portfolio
  • The IRA allocated billions of dollars in lending subsidies specifically meant to drive reinvestment in low-wealth and environmental justice communities. Environmental justice, frontline, and fenceline groups should consider applying for these IRA lending programs

Background

The United States (US) has a waste problem compounded by a plastic problem. For decades, we have been handling our waste in ways that harm communities, our climate, and the natural world. Federal, state, and municipal governments continue to site waste incinerators of all forms in Black, brown, indigenous, and lower-wealth communities — plaguing them with decades of harmful air emissions, high levels of greenhouse gasses, toxic waste, accidents, and other health and safety-related concerns. From fossil fuel extraction to final waste product disposal, the entire production process damages these communities and numerous others. Across the board, incineration is one of the most polluting and expensive waste disposal systems.

Industry often greenwashes incineration as  “waste-to-energy” despite producing minimal amounts of usable energy and leverages this greenwashing to access billions of dollars in federal, state, and local green, renewable, and sustainable energy subsidies and tax breaks. Against this backdrop, the Biden Administration signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law on August 16, 2022. Many agencies are already approving and funding false solutions under the IRA. The Department of Energy (DOE) is funding new carbon capture programs at nearly $3.5 billion and allocating $1.2 billion of Justice40 money to develop direct air capture facilities. We are in a pivotal moment where the US must decide if it will take critical steps to lower greenhouse gas and toxic emissions and move toward a truly sustainable future or will continue to subsidize the dirtiest industries to annually emit millions of tonnes of new CO2 and other dangerous air pollutants.

IRA Overview

The Biden Administration claims its 755-page IRA is the most comprehensive climate bill in US history that is supposed to “make a historic commitment to build a new clean energy economy.” Its provisions on climate change mitigation, clean energy, and energy innovation dominate headlines, as it raises nearly $800 billion from multiple sources. President Biden said, “With this law, the American people won and the special interests lost.” To ensure this is true and stop the incinerator lobby and other special interests from cashing in on a new pool of taxpayer money, the federal government must implement critical changes to its business-as-usual model.

The IRA is primarily a tax bill. Of the promised $369 billion in climate investments, $270 billion will come in the form of tax credits. Before the IRA, Congress awarded tax credits to specific technologies (including incinerators) regardless of greenhouse gas emissions or community harm. Beginning in 2025, however, their eligibility will depend entirely on the Department of Treasury (Treasury) determining that they are zero-emission technologies. By measuring the lifecycle climate impacts of incineration accurately, Treasury can deny polluting facilities billions in tax credits intended for actual sustainable energy solutions and ultimately delay or block their construction or expansion.

Threats & False Solutions

Lifelines to Old, Failing Incinerators

Corporate polluters are corrupting the IRA, lobbying to weaken its rules and definitions to qualify for billions in new subsidies to expand and retrofit existing incinerators, most of which have been operating for an average of 32 years. It is nearly impossible to construct new conventional incinerators due to cost and community opposition, so industry is focused on expansion and modification. If industry succeeds in propping up incinerators for 20 years, they will produce 637.7 million tonnes of climate-change-inducing CO2e emissions and further exacerbate toxic pollution and environmental racism. 

Codifying False and Greenwashed Definitions

The incinerator lobby’s goal is to maximize subsidies, profits, and expansion and to use the IRA and other climate bills as a subsidized path to an undeserved sustainable image upgrade. In the context of the IRA, federal agencies such as the Treasury, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can either categorize incineration as the dirty, expensive, polluting process it is or bolster industry’s claims that incineration produces sustainable energy. If the federal government supports industry’s definitions in the earliest stages of IRA implementation, they will frame agency action and provide billions in tax credits, likely being codified for many climate laws, including the IRA.

IRA Breakdown & Opportunities for the Incinerator Lobby 

The incinerator lobby is working to undermine all aspects of the IRA, specifically focusing on (1) the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), (2) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and (3) IRA lending programs. 

Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

In consultation with the Department of Agriculture and DOE, EPA implements the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The RFS program is a “national policy that requires a certain volume of renewable fuel to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil, or jet fuel.” The four renewable fuel categories under the RFS are biomass-based diesel, cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel. Although long limited to liquid fuels like ethanol, Biden’s EPA is in the process of allowing electricity from certain types of bioenergy to generate eligible credits. Under the current proposal, electric vehicle manufacturers would contract with power producers to generate highly profitable RFS credits.

Pairing new subsidies for incinerators with incentives for EVs is perverse. While support for electric vehicles is vital, it must not be fueled by dirty energy nor sacrifice frontline and fenceline communities. Incinerator interests recently launched a lobbying campaign to secure these incentives. Fortunately, EPA is not required to allow incinerator electricity into the program and has recently tabled an industry-backed eligibility proposal. But, only public pressure on Biden’s EPA and key Administration climate deciders will ensure they don’t approve such proposals.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) 

As one of the most generous IRA incentives, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit (SAF) poses an urgent environmental justice concern. The credit increases in value for lower lifecycle emissions fuels. Treasury’s implementation will determine if this approach succeeds or fails. Industry interests are pushing to make the credit friendlier– and more lucrative–to a new generation of incinerators masquerading behind greenwashing like “pyrolysis,”  “chemical or advanced recycling,” and “plastic-to-fuel.” Turning waste, including fossil fuel-derived plastics, into jet fuel is dangerous and does not decarbonize air travel. 

Although the new aviation production tax credit theoretically excludes petroleum-based feedstocks like plastic, industry is pressuring the Administration to interpret the law to maximize benefits for incineration-based aviation fuels. President Biden and Treasury must decisively determine that plastic-derived fuel — including that derived from pyrolysis oil or any other product of chemical recycling/pyrolysis/gasification — is ineligible for these tax credits.

Lending Programs

The IRA allocated billions of new dollars to EPA and DOE, in particular, to expand existing lending programs and launch entirely new ones. Like the rest of the IRA, these programs’ climate and justice benefits depend on implementation. EPA is in charge of the new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), arguably the most important non-tax provision of the IRA. Worth $37 billion, it will be divided into three separate programs. EPA released broad, unenforceable guidelines in April 2023, suggesting they will focus lending on distributed generation, building decarbonization, and transport. These guidelines will not ensure the money is appropriately allocated, so EPA must prioritize applicants working on proven zero waste approaches. 

DOE is in charge of The Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program, a new loan guarantee program with $250 billion that must be spent before 2026. It can fund energy infrastructure upgrades and the reopening of defunct energy infrastructure, both of which industry could coopt to support their ongoing incineration and chemical recycling plans. DOE must refuse to consider any incinerator applications to guarantee industry does not use loopholes to access clean energy tax credits. 

In July, the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee passed the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget for Fiscal Year 2024. Their budget supports chemical recycling while cutting massive amounts from EPA’s budget and the IRA’s environmental justice efforts, including a nearly $4 billion EPA budget cut (a 39% reduction over 2023), reneging on the IRA’s $1.35 billion promised in environmental and climate justice grants.

Call to Action 

The incinerator lobby is so desperate for money and a government-greenwashed reputation that they launched a new, big-money–astroturf5 network, including DC power brokers and local government enablers. The combined movements6 for climate justice don’t have industry money, but we have people power, the truth, and a prime opportunity to fight against this industry push. There are three key areas in which to counter industry’s agenda: (1) Treasury engagement, (2) state-level renewable portfolio standards, and (3)  IRA lending subsidies. 

Treasury Engagement

As the Washington Post exposed in May 2023, the incinerator industry is among polluting industries racing to position themselves as green to access billions in subsidies and tax credits. In the last year alone, industry launched two trade groups to push their message: the Waste-to-Energy Association and the Circular Economy Coalition. Both have made comments to access benefits for incinerators under the Inflation Reduction Act, or considered prioritizing it. Industry is dedicated to getting Treasury to qualify incinerators as renewable, despite overwhelming evidence that incinerators are extremely polluting. 

It is critical to engage with Treasury as it develops policies, rules, regulations, and procedures to implement the IRA. If Treasury determines this most costly and polluting form of energy is zero emission, it will set an appallingly low bar within the IRA that will exacerbate rather than address the climate crisis, perpetuating and compounding the issues we currently face, and permanently scarring the Biden Administration legacy.

State-level Renewable Portfolio Standards 

The IRA has broad implications, reaching far beyond the federal level of government. Defeating federal government incinerator giveaways in the IRA and other federal climate initiatives will strengthen communities fighting state and local government incinerator giveaways. Currently, different states provide a patchwork of policies and incentives related to incineration. Perhaps most notable are state Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). Twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and four US territories have an RPS. Each RPS has its own renewable electricity targets, defines what technologies qualify as renewable, designates particular technologies as higher or lower tier within the mix, and enables the trading or sale of renewable energy credits. Two-thirds of US incinerators are located in the 26 US states and territories that include incineration in their renewable energy portfolio. Showing industry’s power, scope, and connections at both the federal and state levels of government. It also shows an entrenched mentality that incineration is a clean energy solution. It is imperative that the IRA does not follow suit.

IRA Lending Subsidies

Along with Treasury engagement, environmental justice, frontline, and fenceline groups should consider applying to IRA lending programs. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) and DOE’s Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program offers billions of dollars for projects specifically meant to drive reinvestment in low-wealth and environmental justice communities. Both programs provide an opportunity to fund proven zero waste solutions that push back against false solutions, like incineration. 

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF): The GGRFis a $27 billion investment program designed to achieve the following: “ (1) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants;  (2) deliver benefits of greenhouse gas, and air pollution-reducing projects specifically to low-wealth and disadvantaged communities; and (3)  mobilize financing and private capital to stimulate additional deployment of greenhouse gas and air pollution reducing projects.” The GGRF is being implemented via three grant competitions, which include: (1) the National Clean Investment Fund, (2) the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and (3) the Solar for All Fund.”7 

The National Clean Investment Fund: “The National Clean Investment Fund competition will provide grants to 2-3 national nonprofit clean financing institutions7 capable of partnering with the private sector to provide accessible, affordable financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects across the country.” To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit Grants.gov. Application packages must be submitted on or before October 12, 2023, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) through Grants.gov.

The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator: “The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator competition will provide grants to 2-7 hub nonprofits that will, in turn, deliver funding and technical assistance to build the clean financing capacity of local community lenders working in low-wealth and disadvantaged communities so that underinvested communities have the capital they need to deploy clean technology projects.” To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit Grants.gov. Application packages must be submitted on or before October 12, 2023, at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) through Grants.gov. 

DOE Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program: “The EIR Program provides $250 billion for projects that retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or enable operating energy infrastructure to avoid, reduce, utilize, or sequester air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions.” To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit Energy.gov. Individuals interested in applying should request a no-cost pre-application consultation with a member from DOE’s Loan Programs Office. 

USDA Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program: “The ERA program provides $9.7 billion for projects that help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy intending to improve health outcomes and lower energy costs for people in rural communities.” To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit USDA.gov. Individuals interested in applying should submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) by September 15, 2023.  

Conclusion 

On paper, the Biden Administration’s IRA may be the most comprehensive climate legislation in history, but it also has the immense potential to be a climate destroyer. We are at a crossroads where the Administration and all other levels of government have the power to use the IRA for its stated purpose to “confront the existential threat of the climate crisis and set forth a new era of American innovation and ingenuity to lower consumer costs and drive the global clean energy economy forward.” To make the promise a reality, the Administration — including all the executive agencies, particularly Treasury, Energy, and EPA — cannot succumb to industry greenwashing lobbying.

The Biden Administration must accurately measure the lifecycle climate and health impacts of all forms of incineration and its products (including pyrolysis and gasification) and unequivocally determine that it is not a source of clean energy or a safe way to make jet fuel. It will be up to our ever-expanding movement to hold the Administration accountable to the ideal of the IRA and ensure it is not another greenwashed handout to industry — and that its tax credits and funding go to sustainable solutions that benefit the Black, brown, indigenous, and low wealth communities as it initially intended. 

For more information on the Inflation Reduction Act and its lending programs, visit our fact sheet here.

Resources 
  1. As a tax bill, the categories and definitions of processes are critical because they will determine if a process is covered under it. Historically, there have been some good and some bad determinative definitions (including currently for chemical recycling). ↩︎
  2.  Industry refers to the plastics, incinerator, fossil fuel, and chemical industries who are all perpetuating the plastic waste problem ↩︎
  3.  Industry labels waste-to-energy (WTE) a number of different ways including: plastic-to-fuel (PTF), plastic-to-energy (PTE), refuse-derived-fuel, etc. ↩︎
  4.  This is entirely dependent on if the federal government places incinerators into favorable categories for purposes of massive amounts of tax credits and de facto subsidies. ↩︎
  5.  Astroturfing is the practice of hiding the sponsors of a message or organization (e.g., political, advertising, religious, or public relations) to make it appear as though it originates from, and is supported by, grassroots participants. ↩︎
  6.  The movement includes, but is not limited to – and is always open to expand – the environmental justice movement, climate movement, conservation movement, public health movement, plastics movement, etc. ↩︎
  7. The deadline for the Solar for All Competition has recently been extended to October 12, 2023. Please review this link for additional information: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-launches-7-billion-solar-all-grant-competition-fund#:~:text=The%20Solar%20for%20All%20competition,%2C%20Tribal%20governments%2C%20municipalities%2C%20and ↩︎

The word “cero” in spanish means “zero,” and that’s the focus of this composting cooperative in Boston: moving the city towards zero food waste, and building stronger, more equitable communities in the process. The seeds of CERO were first planted at a meeting where local community members gathered to discuss how to improve recycling rates and create good jobs for marginalized communities. At the time Boston had an abysmal recycling and waste diversion rate of under 25%, and according to a 2015 study by the federal reserve bank of boston, white households had a median wealth of $247,500, and Dominicans and U.S. blacks had a median wealth of close to zero.  CERO sought to combat that economic injustice head on by creating a diverse, bi-langual worker co-op connected with Boston’s working class and communities of color. 

Close shot of a truck with blue sky and a brick building in the background. Photo taken in Boston, US.
©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA

As worker-owner Josefina Luna says, “We started to think[] about green economy. The media talk[ed] all the time about green economy but we didn’t see any green jobs in our community… The first idea [was to] create jobs for the community, create better social development for the minority people, for the people who didn’t have the opportunities.” When the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection enacted a ban in 2014 that prohibits over 1,700 food businesses in the state from disposing of organic material with their trash, CERO was there to provide the solution.

The beauty of CERO is that it creates local “closed loop” systems for food, so that instead of disposing of food waste in dirty landfills that people have to live next to, they ensure that food is recycled back into soil that grows nourishing food for the community. And the model is working. So far the cooperative has prevented 11,867,122 lbs of food waste from going to landfills, and saved their customers $407,570 in trash hauling expenses!

A day in the life of a CERO worker-owner starts early. At 7am, Jonny Santos pulls up to his first customer. 

Jonny is originally from the Dominican Republic and primarily speaks spanish. Of his work with CERO, Jonny explains, “It’s been 1 year and 5 months since I’ve been with CERO and since I joined the company my life—both personally and economically— has changed. At CERO I feel important and useful.”

The first stop for Santos is Mei Mei, a stylish Chinese-American restaurant that uses fresh local ingredients and is dedicated to being a good employer for the Boston community, and preventing as much food waste as possible.

Worker owner of CERO coop in Boston, picking up compost bin. In the background a blue truck and a brick building.
Jonny Santos picking up compost from Mei Mei restaurant. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA

 

Mei Mei is a family business. Meaning “Little Sister,” in Chinese, it is now run by the youngest in the family, Irene Li. From the beginning, the restaurant was on a mission. “For me, I figured that if we were going to be in this tough challenging industry, it would have to be because we were trying to make a difference,” said Li. “We didn’t want to be another average restaurant. A lot of them contribute to a lot of social problems. Can we instead use restaurants as an engine for change?” In order to live up to those values, Mei Mei serves farm-to-table food at a reasonable cost, provides employee education and empowerment trainings, and thanks to their partnership with CERO, they are doubling-down on food waste.

 

Close up of a resturant's sign. Yellow sign with a fish as a logo and the words mei mei
Mei Mei restaurant. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA

“When I got my first restaurant job I was pretty horrified by what I saw on a more commercial scale– recycling wasn’t happening, composting definitely wasn’t happening.” So at Mei Mei they make sure to repurpose food scraps (kale stems too tough for salad become a pesto or a perogi filling), donate what they can’t use, provide free or cheap food to employees through a wholesale program, and then whatever is left over goes into CERO’s compost bin.

Mei Mei and CERO’s partnership represents a perfect food loop– Mei Mei sources some of its produce directly from the very same local farms that use compost from its food waste. CERO makes sure that all those onion peels, carrot tops and apple cores that Mei Mei puts in the bin don’t go to waste, but turn into a rich compost to help grow the next crop of local fresh food that land on Mei Mei customers’ plates.

Mei Mei’s partnership with CERO not only helps grow a local food economy, but it’s helped them keep their costs down. “Not only is that good from a financial perspective, helps us show that you can buy ingredients selectively and still have manageable costs,” says Li. Not only does it make sense financially, it just feels right. It makes Mei Mei a place where people are proud to work,” says Li. “The world makes it very hard to live in alignment with our values, so if we can offer that in any small number of ways to our team that’s providing them some kind of harmony in their lives.” 

After picking up food scraps at Mei Mei it’s time to head to Green City Growers. Founded in 2008, Green City Growers is  an edible landscaping and urban farming company converting unused spaces to places where food is grown, revitalizing city landscapes and inspiring self-sufficiency. They install gardens in people’s homes, at restaurants, corporate offices, and grocery stores, and other–sometimes unexpected–urban spaces, like the top of Fenway park! 

The company was founded by Jessie Banhazl. Banhazl wasn’t always an urban farming extraordinaire– before she founded Green City Growers she worked in reality TV, working behind-the-scenes of shows like “Wife Swap”, “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”, and “The Hills.” But Banhazl wanted a more meaningful career, and she realized that to have a sustainable and resilient cities, they need to, quite literally, go green.  As Banhazl puts it, “[Green City Growers] creat[es] opportunities to see food growing in spaces where there wasn’t. It’s proven that it’s important for human beings to be around nature, and cities have moved away from that as a priority. We want to get that back into how cities are developed and built.” Green City Growers has a goal to create a regenerative, local food system throughout the country, and their partnership with CERO is an essential part of that system. Not only does CERO collect plant waste from over 100 Green City Growers locations, it also delivers the compost made from that waste for Green City Growers to enrich their soil with. Through its partnership with CERO, GCG has been able to compost 50,000 pounds of plant waste per year.

Close shot of a sign at a garden that reads Green City Growers
©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA

Green City Growers has a bit of an unusual service model. Banhazl calls it “edible landscaping.” GCG takes care of the maintenance, and their clients get to use the fruit of that labor however they like, whether for their cafeteria, restaurant, or corporate donations. Banhazl estimates that 5,000 pounds of produce a year is donated to food banks. They also provide education programs for both students and seniors, exposing city dwellers of all walks of life to the joys of growing your own food. As Banhazl states, “The intention [of Green City Growers] is to build a business model around sustainable and regenerative agriculture.” They want to change the business culture in the region, so that sustainability “is a priority for how business takes place.”

Next stop is the Daily Table, a non-for-profit grocery store aimed to provide affordable food options to underserved communities in Boston.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. wastes 30-40% of its food supply, and 31% of that food waste comes from retailers and consumers, who cumulatively waste a whopping 133 billion pounds of food per year (as of most recent data from 2010). This wastefulness is all the more shocking when paired with the fact that 11% of households across the United States are food insecure. The Daily Table is out to solve the problem of food waste and food insecurity in the Boston area in one elegant solution– collect donated food from growers, manufacturers and retailers, and offer them at discounted prices to lower income communities.

However, Daily Table is sometimes not able to distribute all the fresh food before it goes bad. That’s where CERO comes in. CERO collects the leftover food and composts it so that nothing goes to waste.

Fruit and vegetables section at a grocery store
©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA

Waste-conscious businesses like Mei Mei, Green City Growers, and Daily Table show the promise of local, sustainable food systems rooted in social justice and equity. CERO’s role is to connect these efforts together in a loop that prevents waste while creating green jobs, healthy soil, and more vibrant communities. As the city of Boston unveils its Zero Waste Plan– to get the city to 80 percent diversion by 2035 and 90 percent diversion by 2050 from recycling and composting– organizations like CERO are the key not only to reaching these ambitious goals, but transforming Boston into a place where its workers and all its residents can thrive. 

Headshot of a man wearing a blue shirt and a baseball hat
Worker-owner Jonny Santos. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA
Headshot of a woman smiling to camera, wearing a red cardigan
Mei Mei owner Irene Li. ©Mei Mei
Photo of chef working at a restaurant kitchen
Mei Mei owner Irene Li in the restaurant kitchen. ©Mei Mei
Person behind a counter at a cafe, two people sit a table in front of them enjoying a meal
Caden Salvata behind the counter at Mei Mei restaurant. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA
Man wearing a yellow shirt picking up a tray of food at a cafe's counter
Salvata serving farm fresh food to customers at Mei Mei. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA
Headshot of a blonde woman, wearing a swetshirt that says Kale, on a very sunny day
Jessie Banhazl, Founder of Green City Growers. ©Ian Brown Photography
Man using a machine to mix soil in a raised bed garden
Tim Cross, Green City Growers installation and facilities manager taking soil from CERO and mixing with soil amendments to use in raised bed gardens. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA
Close shot of an orange shirt with a white logo that reads Daily Table
©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA
Man wearing orange shirt unpacking some strawberries on a metallic table, commercial kitchen
Cliff Wiggins of daily table offloading some unsellable donations that did not meet quality standards. ©Astudillo/Survival Media Agency/GAIA
Portrait of three people wearing blue shirts with a logo that reads CERO, looking and smiling at camera
CERO Worker-Owners (from left) Maya Gaul, Josefina Luna, and Lor Holmes. ©Phyllis Bret Holtz

GAIA and #BreakFreeFromPlastic Members Respond to Ocean Conservancy’s Apology

MANILA: 15 JULY, 2022

The United States-based organization Ocean Conservancy (OC), on 11th July 2022, issued a long-overdue apology to more than seven hundred organizations for the harm caused by the publication of their 2015 report “Stemming the Tide: Land-based strategies for a plastic-free ocean”, expressing its willingness to take responsibility for the damage caused by the publication.

Froilan Grate, Regional Director of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) –  Asia Pacific comments:

 “The OC report not only harmed the five countries wrongfully blamed for plastic pollution, but misled for years governments and the public into thinking that  burning plastic waste was a solution to the problem.”

“The apology is an invitation to hear the voices and concerns of communities and groups in the Asia Pacific region who have been disproportionately impacted by this framing, and for whom this issue is very personal. This is a time for the rest of the world to listen and follow their lead.“

When it was released, the OC report was instrumental in putting the onus for plastic waste on five Asian countries (Philippines, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand), completely disregarding the role of countries in the Global North for their overproduction of plastic and plastic waste exports to developing countries under the guise of “trade”. The report also promoted incineration as a “solution” to the plastic pollution problem, enticing governments to adopt incineration, exposing their citizens to health risks, and enabling further plastic production with the myth that we can simply burn our plastic pollution problems away.

Since then, more than seven hundred organizations signed a letter exposing the damaging impacts of such inaccurate framing. For years, environmental groups worked to correct the narrative by 1) providing evidence about the entities  primarily  responsible  for the tonnes of plastic waste ending up  in the  environment, namely  the Global North corporations producing and selling plastic; and 2) debunking false solutions like waste incineration, “Waste-To-Energy”, and Chemical Recycling that cause further damage to vulnerable communities while doing little to curb plastic production.

After receiving the apology, several of the impacted groups are engaging in a repair and transformative justice process with OC to identify ways to mitigate the harm caused. Currently, GAIA, together with its members and allies from the #breakfreefromplastic movement, is leading a series of conversations with Ocean Conservancy to identify the path forward.

Grate adds, 

“We are taking the first step with OC towards restoring the much-needed justice for the impacted communities in Asia. We feel hopeful that the outcome of this process will be healing and will repair some of the harm caused, and committed to keeping our community involved in the next steps of this conversation, and informed once concrete outcomes have emerged from this process.“

 

Contact:

Sonia Astudillo, GAIA Asia Pacific Communications Officer | sonia@no-burn.org | +63 917 5969286

Froilan Grate, GAIA Asia Pacific Regional Director | froilan@no-burn.org | +63 977 806 7653

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About GAIA – GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 800 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. 

About Break Free From Plastic –  #breakfreefromplastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 2,000 organizations and 11,000 individual supporters from across the world have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the shared values of environmental protection and social justice and work together through a holistic approach to bring about systemic change. This means tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain—from extraction to disposal—focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions.www.breakfreefromplastic.org

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