GAIA Plastics Treaty Policy Update

INC-4 Day 2, April 24, 2024

Contact Groups continued to second day

Member States and Observers were in contact groups to continue to hammer out agreement on text. Contact group 1 is focused on parts I and II of the revised Zero Draft (the basis for treaty text), which cover the scope and objectives of the instrument,  particularly how to address the life cycle of plastics. This is where the debate over plastic reduction (or what is being referred to as reduction of PPP– primary plastic polymers) is taking place. 

Contact group 2 focuses on parts III and IV of the revised Zero Draft, which center around implementation. This is where discussions around financial mechanisms for the treaty are taking shape. 

New study shows: more plastic production = more plastic pollution

(Courtesy of #BreakFreeFromPlastic)

A research paper published in Science Advances on April 24 confirms plastic production is directly linked to plastic pollution– such that every 1% increase in consumer goods companies’ plastic production is associated with a 1% increase in plastic pollution in the environment.  The paper is the result of a five-year analysis conducted by scientists from a dozen different universities in the United States of America, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, Estonia, Chile, Sweden, Canada, and the United Kingdom. 

The researchers used #BreakFreeFromPlastic (BFFP) brand audit data from 1,576 audit events across 84 countries gathered between 2018 – 2022. The data revealed that 56 global companies are responsible for more than half of all branded plastic pollution, with a quarter of the branded waste attributed to just five companies: The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, and Altria/Philip Morris International. As world leaders negotiate a Global Plastics Treaty at INC-4, this research serves as a tool to support a high-ambition legally binding treaty that includes provisions on corporate accountability, prioritizing plastic production reduction measures, and promoting reuse and refill systems.

Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Outnumber National Delegations, Scientists, and Indigenous Peoples at Plastics Treaty Negotiations

Courtesy of Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) 

An analysis by CIEL in collaboration with GAIA and others finds: 

  • 196 lobbyists for the fossil fuel and chemical industry registered for the plastics treaty talks, a 37% increase from the 143 lobbyists registered at INC-3.
  • Fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists outnumber the combined 180 representatives of the European Union delegations.
  • The total number of fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists registered is three times greater than the 58 independent scientists from the Scientists’ Coalition for An Effective Plastic Treaty and seven times greater than the 28 representatives of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus. 
  • 16 lobbyists for the fossil fuel and chemical industry registered across nine different country delegations, including four in Malaysia, three in Thailand, two in Iran and the Dominican Republic, and one each in China, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Turkey, and Uganda. 
  • The fossil fuel and chemical industry registered more representatives than the smallest 87 country delegations combined. 
  • The Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) collectively registered 73 representatives, meaning they are outnumbered more than two to one compared to the fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists.

Civil society soundbyte

Spokespeople from Aamjiwnaang First Nations, the Society of First Nations, and Keepers of the Water held a press conference at the Shaw Center to speak out against the systemic violence and environmental genocide that they’ve suffered at the hands of the Canadian government, focusing particularly on the use of ancestral lands for oil and gas extraction to make plastic. They also expressed their frustration at the limited access they’ve had to the treaty negotiations. 

Excerpt from Ecojustice press release: 

Last week Aamjiwnaang First Nation Chief and Council issued an alert to the community warning of high levels of benzene, a chemical used in the production of plastics that is known to cause cancer and increase respiratory illnesses. Concerningly, industry and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks failed to inform the community about the elevated pollution levels through the public warning system. 

Janelle Nahmabin, Elected Councillor, Aamjiwnaang First Nation said: “I’m willing to put my life on the line for the next generations. That’s how much I love my people and my land. What about you?” 

Contact:

Claire Arkin, Global Communications Lead

claire@no-burn.org | +1 973 444 4869

References: 

For more information about GAIA’s treaty advocacy, please visit  no-burn.org/unea-plastics-treaty, follow us on X @gaianoburn, and read our Press kit.

INC-4 Day 1, April 23, 2024

Setting the Stage: the Opening Plenary

Today marked the first day of the fourth round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty. Member States and civil society crowded into the Shaw Center to hear the opening remarks. United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Anderson recognized the world’s 20 million waste pickers, and reiterated the need for a just transition in the treaty. She also emphasized the UNEA 5.2 resolution calling for  “…an instrument that deals with the full lifecycle of plastic. To stop plastic pollution, we need to start at the start and end at the end.” 

Steven Guilbeault, Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change echoed the need for a treaty that addresses the impacts of plastic from extraction to disposal. “There is no miracle solution. Neither recycling, nor banning, nor innovation alone can lead us to where we need to go. [We need action to] tackle the entire lifecycle of plastic pollution, considering production, design, and elimination.” 

Africa and Pacific Small Island Developing States Continue to Lead Ambition

Throughout the INC’s, many of the countries most impacted by plastic pollution and climate change have shown the most ambition for a strong plastics treaty, particularly the African Bloc and Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS). This was no different on the first day of INC-4. Vanuatu on behalf of PSIDS, stated in plenary that downstream measures alone can not prevent the plastics crisis, and that the treaty must include overall reduction of plastics including primary plastic polymers and elimination of chemicals of concern.

Rwanda stated that we have no time to waste. The Vast majority of African states support reduction of plastic production to sustainable levels, with global, legally bound, time bound targets. 

The ‘Like-Minded Group’ is more formalized

At INC-3 in Kenya, a loose confederation of petro-states banded together to obstruct the negotiations and attempt to lower the scope and ambition of the negotiations. Now it seems that at INC-4 this group has become more of a formal entity. 

While this “Like-Minded Group” is a vocal one in the negotiations, it is also in the minority. By GAIA’s count, 144 countries have expressed a willingness to consider plastic production cuts in the treaty. 

One debate that may arise at the negotiations is around Rules of Procedure. Civil society has been demanding that democracy be protected through a provision for voting should consensus not be reached, in keeping with the most successful international environmental treaty negotiations. This provides a strong incentive for Member States to come to compromise, so that no one country can block progress and force the treaty to appeal to the lowest common denominator. The ‘Like-Minded Groups’ are attempting to block provisions for voting, which would undermine the democratic process. 

Civil Society Access Issues 

The decision to hold the INC in Ottawa created a significant obstacle for frontline communities from the Global South to obtain the necessary visa to attend. Because of visa delays, many were not able to join in time, calling into question UNEP’s ability to provide civil society with the access to meaningfully participate in the negotiations. 

Today’s civil society soundbyte

In a Greenpeace press conference held at the Shaw Center today, Jo Banner of the Descendents Project explained the connection between the petrochemical industry and the legacy of slavery in the United States: “Throughout my area of Louisiana and even other parts of the country, chemical plants are in the literal footprint of plantations. Some of these plants still have the plantation homes on their properties… Plantation land provided everything these plants need to operate. Large acreage and access to water, and a government willing to sacrifice our health. The descendents of the enslaved who were on the fenceline of the plantation are now on the fenceline of the pollution of these plants.” 

      Contact:

      Claire Arkin, Global Communications Lead

      claire@no-burn.org | +1 973 444 4869

      References: 

      For more information about GAIA’s treaty advocacy, please visit  no-burn.org/unea-plastics-treaty, follow us on X @gaianoburn, and read our Press kit.

      Los líderes mundiales se reunirán este mes para negociar recortes en la producción de plásticos en el marco del Tratado de plásticos

      PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA: 19 de abril, 2024

      Berkeley, California, Estados Unidos– Antes de la cuarta ronda de negociaciones de las Naciones Unidas para un tratado global sobre plásticos que se llevará a cabo del 23 al 29 de abril en Ottawa, el Laboratorio Nacional Lawrence Berkeley (LBNL) publicó un estudio pionero que revela el enorme impacto climático de la producción de plástico. La Alianza Global para Alternativas a la Incineración (GAIA) ha preparado un informe de políticas que muestra cuán rápido el mundo debe reducir la producción de plástico para evitar un calentamiento catastrófico. Las conclusiones del informe refuerzan la importancia de que el tratado de plásticos cubra todo el ciclo de vida del plástico, desde la extracción hasta la eliminación, tal como se consagra en el acuerdo entre 175 países -la Resolución 5/14 de la UNEA-, que constituye la base de las conversaciones en relación con el tratado.

      Principales conclusiones:

      • El impacto de los plásticos en el clima comienza con la fase de extracción. Con vistas a comprender, medir, evaluar y abordar en forma cabal el impacto de la contaminación por plásticos, la evaluación y los controles regulatorios deben considerar el ciclo de vida completo, que comienza con la extracción. 
      • El incremento en la producción de plástico por sí solo arruinará los objetivos climáticos internacionales. Incluso si todas las demás fuentes de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (transporte, electricidad, agricultura, industria pesada, etc.) se descarbonizaran milagrosa y completamente en 2024, con las tasas de crecimiento actuales, la producción de plásticos primarios por sí sola consumiría por completo el presupuesto mundial de carbono para el año 2060 y, a más tardar, para 2083. 
      • Se requieren recortes profundos y rápidos en la producción de plástico conforme lo establecido en el Acuerdo de París. Para evitar superar el límite de 1,5°C establecido en el Acuerdo de París, a partir de 2024, la producción de plásticos primarios debe disminuirse entre al menos 12% y 17% por año. 

      Un punto clave de tensión en las negociaciones hasta el momento tiene que ver con la inclusión de recortes ambiciosos y vinculantes en la producción de plástico en la versión final del tratado. La gran mayoría de los países que participan en el proceso de negociación se han mantenido abiertos a incluir en el tratado objetivos de reducción de la producción. Sin embargo, una minoría reducida pero ruidosa, integrada principalmente por naciones productoras de combustibles fósiles, ha intentado sabotear las conversaciones mediante tácticas de obstrucción, y a través de argumentos que sostienen que la contaminación por plásticos comienza sólo en la etapa de eliminación. A la luz de los nuevos datos del LBNL, la obstrucción de este pequeño grupo pone en peligro la capacidad del mundo para descarbonizarse a tiempo y evitar así un desastre climático.  

      La industria petroquímica en sí tiene una presencia significativa en las negociaciones ya que 143 lobistas de la industria  se inscribieron para asistir al INC-3, un grupo más grande que cualquier delegación nacional u organización de la sociedad civil, con lo que lograron amplio acceso a representantes gubernamentales de todo el mundo.   La sociedad civil pide que se los retire de futuras negociaciones a fin de evitar un conflicto de intereses. 

      El Dr. Neil Tangri, Director de Ciencia y Políticas de GAIA y Senior Fellow de la Facultad de Políticas Públicas Goldman de la Universidad de California en Berkeley, afirmó lo siguiente: “Mientras los líderes mundiales intentan negociar una solución a la crisis del plástico, la industria petroquímica invierte miles de millones de dólares para empeorar rápidamente el problema. Necesitamos un acuerdo global para detener este crecimiento canceroso, reducir la producción de plástico y marcar el comienzo de un mundo con menos plástico y menos contaminación”. 

      El Dr. Sam Adu-Kumi, ex Director del Centro de Gestión y Control de Sustancias Químicas de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA) de Ghana, sostuvo que “África ha sido una de las regiones más ambiciosas en las negociaciones del tratado de plásticos. Reconocemos el impacto de la contaminación por plásticos en la salud, el medio ambiente y los medios de vida de nuestra gente, y sabemos por experiencia que se necesitan medidas en las etapas iniciales y de producción para permitir el éxito en las fases posteriores respecto de la lucha contra la contaminación por plásticos”.

      El Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, profesor adjunto y Research Faculty Fellow de la Universidad Siliman, en Dumaguete, Filipinas, afirmó que: “Filipinas está a la vanguardia tanto del cambio climático, como de la contaminación por plásticos. Las olas de calor, los fuertes tifones e inundaciones empeoran con el paso del tiempo, y la industria petroquímica ha desplazado nuestros sistemas tradicionales con montañas de plástico que envenenan a nuestras comunidades. Si el tratado incluye o no recortes en la producción de plástico no es sólo un debate político, es una cuestión de supervivencia”. 

      Contactos de prensa:

      Camila Aguilera, Comunicaciones GAIA América Latina 

      camila@no-burn.org | +56 9 51111599

      Claire Arkin, Comunicaciones Globales

      claire@no-burn.org | +1 973 444 4869

      Nota editorial: 

      Dr. Neil Tangri fue el revisor experto del informe LBNL y las conclusiones del informe de políticas se basan en los datos de dicho reporte. El viernes 19 de abril de 2024, a las 12:00 de la mañana EST, estará disponible un informe político completo en el que se explicará cómo entender estos nuevos datos en el contexto de las negociaciones del tratado sobre los plásticos. Para recibir una copia embargada de este informe, póngase en contacto con claire@no-burn.org (EE.UU) o camila@no-burn.org (América Latina)

      Para obtener más información sobre las próximas negociaciones del tratado sobre plásticos (INC-4), consulte nuestra carpeta de prensa. 

      Global Leaders to Meet This Month to Negotiate Production Cuts in Plastics Treaty

      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 19, 2024

      Berkeley, CA, USA– In advance of the fourth round of United Nations negotiations for an international plastics treaty in Ottawa April 23-29, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has released a groundbreaking study revealing the enormous climate impact of plastic production. The report’s findings reinforce the importance of the treaty covering the entire life cycle of plastic, from extraction to disposal, as enshrined in the 175-country agreement Resolution 5/14, which forms the basis for the treaty talks. Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has created a policy brief that shows how rapidly the world must reduce plastic production in time to avert catastrophic warming.

      Key Findings:

      • Plastics’ impact on the climate starts with extraction. To fully capture, measure, evaluate and address the impacts of plastic pollution, assessment and regulatory controls must consider the complete lifecycle, beginning with extraction. 
      • Growth in plastic production alone will doom international climate goals. Even if every other source of greenhouse gas emissions – transportation, electricity, agriculture, heavy industry, etc. – were to miraculously and completely decarbonize in 2024, at current growth rates, primary plastic production alone would completely consume the global carbon budget as early as 2060 and no later than 2083. 
      • Deep, rapid cuts in plastic production are required by the Paris Agreement. To avoid breaching the 1.5°C limit set by the Paris Agreement, primary plastic production must decrease by at least 12% to 17% per year, starting in 2024. 

      A key tension point in the negotiations thus far is over including ambitious and binding plastic production cuts in the final treaty. The vast majority of countries engaged in the negotiation process have remained open to including production reduction targets in the treaty. However a small but vocal minority, primarily made up of fossil fuel-producing nations, have sought to sabotage the talks through obstruction tactics and by arguing that plastic pollution starts only at the disposal stage. In light of the new data from LBNL, this small group’s obstruction imperils the world’s ability to decarbonize in time to avoid climate disaster.  

      The petrochemical  industry itself has had a significant presence at the negotiations– 143 industry lobbyists registered to attend INC-3, a larger group than any national delegation or civil society organization, and has gained extensive access to government representatives from around the world. Civil society is calling for their removal from further negotiations to avoid conflict of interest. 

      GAIA Science and Policy Director and Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy, Dr. Neil Tangri, states: “While global leaders are trying to negotiate a solution to the plastic crisis, the petrochemical industry is investing billions of dollars in making the problem rapidly worse. We need a global agreement to stop this cancerous growth, bring down plastic production, and usher in a world with less plastic and less pollution.” 

      Co-author Dr. Sam Adu-Kumi, former Director of the Chemicals Control and Management Centre of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana, says, “Africa has been one of the most ambitious regions in the plastics treaty negotiations. We recognize the impact of plastic pollution on our people’s health, environment and livelihoods and we know from experience that upstream measures are needed to enable downstream success in combating plastic pollution.”

      Co-author Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, Adjunct Professor and Research Faculty Fellow, Silliman University, Dumaguete, Philippines, states, “The Philippines is on the frontlines of both climate change and plastic pollution. Heat waves, powerful typhoons and flooding are getting worse, and the petrochemical industry has displaced our traditional systems with mountains of plastic that poison our communities. Whether the treaty includes plastic production cuts is not just a policy debate. It’s a matter of survival.” 

      Press contacts:

      Claire Arkin, Global Communications Lead

      claire@no-burn.org | +1 973 444 4869

      Note to editor: 

      Dr. Neil Tangri was an expert reviewer on the LBNL report, and the conclusions cited above are based on that report’s data. The full policy brief can be found here. For more information about the upcoming plastics treaty negotiations (INC-4), please see our press kit. 

      A Success Story from the Markets of Warwick

      Written by Lily Nobel

      Over the last 3 years, the Warwick zero waste composting project has taken food waste from the Early Morning Market (EMM) in the Markets of Warwick (a neighborhood in Durban, South Africa) and transformed it into nutrient-rich compost at the Durban Botanic Gardens. As landfills in South Africa are rapidly filling up, this project showcases the power of utilizing small spaces and limited resources to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector — a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide. According to the UNEP’s Global Methane Assessment, reducing methane is a crucial step to keep global warming under 1.5°C, the threshold established by the Paris Agreement.

      Currently, this project is being upscaled across the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and revolutionizing organic waste management in the area–unlocking resources through saving public funds and creating locally accessible jobs. Empowered by strong partnerships among local organizations, and fueled by effective data collection, this pilot successfully demonstrates the potential of decentralized, environmental justice-centered composting that not only brings climate benefits but also promotes social interests.

      Team members from groundWork, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Horticulture Department, the eThekwini Municipality Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit (PRC), the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW), and the Business Support, Markets, Tourism and Agribusiness Unit (BSMTAU) pose together at the Durban Botanic Garden where the composting is done.
      Collaboration at the Warwick Zero Waste Project. Photo credit: Lunga Benghu

      Easily replicable decentralized composting model

      In 2022, groundWork, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Horticulture Department, the eThekwini Municipality Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit (PRC), the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit (CSW), and the Business Support, Markets, Tourism and Agribusiness Unit (BSMTAU) partnered to launch a composting pilot project in the Durban Botanic Gardens’ permaculture site. It quickly evolved from composting a weekly 240 liter bin of food and vegetable waste to building 12 large compost windrows that are currently maintained to mature compost in a 3-month cycle.

      Before zero waste: Organic waste from the EMM goes to the nearest landfills – Buffelsdraai and Illovu landfills – over 35 km away from the city. Photo credit: Lunga Benghu

      As of March 2024, the pilot has diverted over 72 tonnes of organic waste from landfills by collecting approximately 1.5 tonnes of organic waste from the EMM weekly in two separate collection points and combining this with approximately 1 tonne of garden waste. Since July 2023, the project has supplied over 41 tonnes of compost to the city’s PRC Unit, free of charge, for use in parks and community gardens across the municipality. Samples of the compost undergo regular testing —such as full nutrient analysis, pot trails, and microbial analysis— to refine the ‘recipe’ and to ensure quality control. These tests demonstrate the high quality of the compost produced.

      Cost-saving public funds for waste management

      While many waste projects often seek investment from external actors, this project utilizes existing resources to unlock significant savings from public funds. By diverting organic waste from landfills, the city reduces the costs associated with landfilling and landfill airspace, which in Durban is estimated to be approximately R1,774 (93 USD) per tonne of waste. The Buffelsdraai and Illovu landfills, the only two operating landfills in Durban, are both located 35 kilometers or more from the city center, leading to high transportation costs. Findings from a cost-benefit analysis report on the project show how the various city departments have the potential to save money from reduced waste management costs and access to free compost. To date, the parks department alone has saved R23,600 (1,250 USD) from compost received through the project. As the project scales up, the savings can be used to sustainably cover the salary of the staff who manage the composters. Unlike waste incineration projects, which require huge capital and operational costs and lock cities in a put-or-pay scheme for decades, this composting model saves the city money, which is then reinvested to rapidly scale the composting model, leading to even bigger savings and opportunities to scale, in a virtuous circle. 

      Job creation through zero waste

      This environmental justice-centered model composting project improves social realities in the area by providing local jobs. On a tonne-for-tonne basis, composting can create three times as many jobs as landfill and incineration. In South Africa, 42.2% of people aged 15-34 years are neither employed, nor enrolled in formal education or training programs as of the last quarter of 2023. As this project is scaled up, composting is estimated to create four jobs per 400 tons of waste processed. The project also improves the working conditions and social protections of the informal market traders, waste collectors, and composters. Moreover, the Warwick zero waste project prioritizes the employment of people from the market and local communities, rather than using machines that often require external experts. In contrast, incineration creates the least amount of jobs and requires workers with highly specialized skills that are not accessible to the local population.

      The delivery of Early Morning Market organics to the compost site and windrow preparations. Photo credit: Lunga Benghu

      Waste methane reduction for South Africa

      Meanwhile, source-separated organic collection with composting demonstrates significantly higher climate mitigation and adaptation benefits. Composting alone can prevent as much as 99% of methane emissions that would otherwise come from landfills. When the finished compost is utilized in place of synthetic fertilizer, further GHG emissions are saved by reducing emissions of nitrous oxide, not to mention avoiding the fossil fuel emissions from creating fertilizer. The application of compost to the soil also boosts flood and drought resistance and increases carbon sequestration capacity.

      Although South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) provide neither specific targets nor roadmaps for the waste sector, the Warwick zero waste project paves a crucial pathway to help the country improve its national climate goals. By proving the efficacy of decentralized composting projects, the Warwick site can be used as a model for the nation and other countries on how to invest in empowering and inclusive organic management projects powered by local organizations and communities, thereby maximizing municipal resources and local knowledge.

      Zero waste markets in Durban and beyond

      Currently, the project team and city partners are working on expanding waste collection from the EMM to compost all 400 tonnes of waste generated by the market every year. Alongside this expansion, the team plans to replicate the model in a second market, the Bangladesh Market. In the longer term, the project team is targeting all nine fresh fruit and vegetable markets in Durban, proving the model’s feasibility and efficacy on a larger scale. The project has drawn an increasing interest among other municipalities in South Africa, and the team is actively engaging with government officials across the country and region.

      map of markets in Durban, South Africa. Aside from The Early Morning Market where the project is currently ongoing, 8 other fresh produce markets are highlighted in the map. eThekwini municipal markets targeted for scale up and in relation to the Buffelsdraai landfill. We are currently at the Early Morning Market and will be moving to the Bangladesh Market this year. Credit: Ayanda Mnyandu
      Growing the zero waste composting model in all the markets in Durban starting with Early Morning Market then moving on to Bangladesh Market this year. Credit: Ayanda Mnyandu

      No to incineration, go for zero waste

      The cost-saving model demonstrated by the Warwick zero waste project can be upscaled rapidly with the right flow of capacity and resource support. This also means ceasing support for inflexible, costly, and carbon-intensive infrastructures, particularly waste incineration. Policymakers and financiers must ensure that investment in organic waste management projects must be aligned with Environmental Justice principles and inclusive of local organizations and knowledge to build lasting environmental and societal impact. 

      More Environmental Justice Stories

      A significant step to comply with the Global Methane Pledge

      Contributed by YPBB

      In a significant and forward-thinking move, the West Java provincial government officially prohibited the disposal of organic waste in the Sarimukti landfill, located in the West Bandung Regency, effective January 1, 2024. This comes as a response to the  August 2023 Sarimukti landfill fires. The policy has the potential to divert 228,855 tons of organic waste per year from Bandung alone — preventing 575,428 tonnes CO2eq of methane emissions per year from the landfill. The West Java Provincial government has targeted a reduction of 754,154 tonnes CO2eq from all the landfills in West Java by 2030. This means that Bandung, the capital of the province, can contribute 75% of the set target.

      Apart from reducing methane, this policy has the potential to contribute to environmental justice by significantly reducing river pollution caused by the landfill’s leachate, which is a water source for more than 6,000 people. If implemented in parallel with separate organic waste collection and treatment, cities could save significant costs, particularly on transportation, and it could also contribute to the local economy, creating 6 jobs per tonnes of waste managed, double the current system.

      A fireman aims the water hose at a fire at a landfill in Sarimukti
      The Sarimukti Landfill catches fire. source: Sindonews

      Methane, a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide, is an increasingly significant global concern to deliver climate action. According to the UNEP’s Global Methane Assessment, reducing methane is a crucial step to keep global warming under 1´5ºC, the threshold established by the Paris Agreement. Interestingly, the Climate Transparency Report (2022) highlights that Indonesia’s waste sector is the country’s largest methane emitter.

      In 2023, Sarimukti landfill, a regional landfill serving four cities in West Java, was projected to surpass its capacity. Landfill fires got out of control – AZWI reported 38 landfill fire occurrences in 2023,  attributing methane from organic waste as its root cause. Responding to this critical situation, the Bandung Zero Waste Forum and grassroots groups, particularly Friends of The Earth Indonesia (WALHI) and Yaksa Pelestari Bumi Berkelanjutan (YPBB) —members of Alliance for Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI)— initiated intensive advocacy efforts, targeting the ban of organic waste landfilling and incineration, emphasizing how the air pollution was affecting waste pickers and the community around the landfill. By August 2023, provincial and local governments declared a waste emergency status, and soon after, the organic waste ban to landfill was sealed.

      A waste worker in Bandung, Indonesia collects segregated at-source waste, he is seen transferring organic waste from a resident's trash bin to his collection cart.
      An informal waste collector conducts separate collection in a neighborhood in Bandung. source: YPBB

      Incinerator Threat Looms

      However, while this policy is a critical milestone for the Metro Bandung area, the provincial government is risking this achievement with a Waste-to-Energy incinerator project proposal in Legok Nangka, a newly built regional landfill to replace Sarimukti. In opposition, WALHI has continuously warned the government about the hidden risks of incineration, emphasizing the risk of methane-to-carbon swapping, the obstacle it will pose to cities to achieve its climate and waste reduction targets, and its adverse impacts to local communities. Accordingly, YPBB and Bandung Zero Waste Forum advocate for coherent policies through alternative policy scenarios that do not rely on incineration. 

      Furthermore, the organic waste ban to landfill should be implemented carefully. The government must not allow pitfalls as experienced by the European “zero waste to landfill” policy, which has resulted in an excess of incineration capacity in this region. The policy should be more ambitious by including a mandatory source separation, separate collection, and treatment of organic waste, and a ban on landfilling ‘untreated organic waste’.

      Three protesters wearing complete PPEs protest the incinerator plans in Indonesia. On the left, the protester holds a placard that says in Bahasa Indonesia "Bakar Sampah Masalah Datang", the middle one's placard reads "Incinerator: Fake Solutions!"; and the protester on the right holds a placard that can only be partially seen
      Local groups protest incinerator plans in Indonesia. source: WALHI

      Zero Waste is Already Happening

      It is critical that the organic waste ban to landfill policy drives and scales up the existing zero waste models. Nine zero-waste city models throughout Indonesia (Bandung City, Bandung Regency, Cimahi, Sumedang, Purwakarta, Karawang, Gresik, Denpasar and Gianyar) organized by AZWI cover a population of more than 478,000 people with an average of 40% waste segregation compliance rate, up to an 88% in the best cases, which is by far the highest in the country. In total, these zero waste models have the potential to reduce organic waste sent to landfill by 6,500 tons per year. In a recent report, YPBB and GAIA found that a city-scale zero waste implementation in Bandung is four times more climate-effective than incineration. The success of these zero waste initiatives has relied on two strategic pillars:

      1. implementation of waste prevention measures, source separation and separate collection of various waste streams, including organic waste; and
      2. strong community engagement with a clear priority for inclusion of informal waste collectors. Ultimately, local stakeholders have played a pivotal role in implementing the zero waste models that started with minimal government support.
      Nine members of AZWI and DLH sit around a concrete table at an open public space in Bandung.
      Aliansi Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI) and Dyan Prasetyangningtyas (DLH Kota Surabaya) conduct a stakeholders meeting in Bandung. source: YPBB

      In conclusion,  the level of ambition required in achieving Indonesia’s climate commitments, and the political momentum in West Java should be harnessed to drive systemic change. This can happen now thanks to decades of collective and dedicated work of local groups like YPBB, Bandung Zero Waste Forum, WALHI, and AZWI. To make the most of this, governments and financial institutions must create the right flow of resources and capacity — aligned with Environmental Justice principles — making the inclusion of local organizations a clear priority for a lasting impact.

      Back to COP28 Resources

      Por Soledad Mella, ANARCH. Colabora: Camila Aguilera, GAIA Latin America y Caribe.

      (English version follows)

      A veces se dice que el trabajo de las y los recicladores es una labor invisible. Sin embargo, es más apropiado decir que es una labor invisibilizada. Las y los recicladores del mundo somos tan visibles como los residuos que se apilan en los vertederos y como los efectos del cambio climático que experimentamos cada vez más seguido, el sistema que no nos reconoce como trabajadores es  lo que nos invisibiliza.

      En América Latina, un continente donde la gestión de residuos a menudo desafía las capacidades espaciales y económicas de las ciudades, los recicladores se erigen como pilares fundamentales para la reducción de residuos, y al mismo tiempo contribuir a combatir el cambio climático. 

      Las y los recicladores sabemos bien que las mejores estrategias de gestión de residuos son los sistemas de basura cero. Nuestro trabajo no está condicionado a un material en particular o a una mayor generación de residuos, sino todo lo contrario, la reducción en origen de materiales de un solo uso, la recolección diferenciada, y el reciclaje no tóxico, también son objetivos para las agrupaciones de recicladores.

      Debido a esto, cuando los recicladores hablamos de transición justa no lo hacemos centrándonos ni en la cantidad de residuos ni en el acceso a un material en particular, sino que hacemos referencia a asuntos concretos relacionados con el reconocimiento, la visibilidad,  la integración, y la generación de oportunidades. 

      En este sentido, la recuperación de residuos orgánicos hoy se abre como una gama de oportunidades para las y los recicladores. Una oportunidad que no estábamos viendo en forma transversal, a pesar de que sí tenemos compañeros comenzando a trabajar en el tema. Si bien la necesidad de reducir las emisiones de metano abre puertas, las necesidades para que podamos lograrlo son las mismas que tenemos cuando nos referimos a nuestro trabajo recuperando residuos sólidos domiciliarios, que son: financiamiento, infraestructura, maquinaria, transporte de logística, apoyo de un equipo técnico y administrativo, y capacitación. Con estas necesidades cubiertas, la recuperación de material orgánico puede entregar nuevas oportunidades no solo a recicladores, sino a más mujeres y hombres que pueden encontrar aquí una oportunidad de trabajo.  Por eso cuando se implementan políticas realmente orientadas a la justicia social y a la transición justa, esperamos que éstas garanticen derechos esenciales, entornos de trabajo seguros y saludables y contar con un acceso justo a los residuos. 

      La Asociación de Recicladores de Chile, un gremio que agrupa a 5.000 recicladores, representando a un universo de 60.000 mil recicladores en todo el país, con 54 dirigentes regionales, desea embarcarse con mucha fuerza y compromiso en el tratamiento de residuos orgánicos. Primero con aquellos que cuentan con acceso a terreno, y luego con más recicladores cuando empecemos a ver los resultados de las políticas de inclusión y transición justa. Recordemos que nuestros compañeros que se encuentran actualmente trabajando en rellenos sanitarios y vertederos, deben entrar en un proceso de recambio frente a lo que significa el cierre de estos espacios. Esperamos que este proceso de cierre y transformación se traduzca en una oportunidad, en la que se pueda invertir y por qué no, convertir estos rellenos/vertederos en espacios de tratamiento de residuos orgánicos.

      Las y los recicladores necesitamos -y queremos- que se generen las oportunidades que nos permitan hacernos cargo de los residuos sólidos domiciliarios y ahora también de los orgánicos en el marco de las leyes que se están implementando en nuestros países. Pero como mencioné anteriormente, las ambiciones de recuperación deben ir de la mano de las ambiciones de los gobiernos locales en cuanto a  inclusión e inversión.

       

      Soledad Mella – National Association of Waste Pickers of Chile ANARCH

      By Soledad Mella, ANARCH/RED Lacre. Contributor: Camila Aguilera, GAIA Latin America & the Caribbean.

      It is sometimes said that the work of waste pickers is invisible. However, it is more appropriate to say that it has been made invisible. The waste pickers of the world are as visible as the waste piling up in landfills and the effects of climate change that we are experiencing more and more often. The system that does not recognize us as workers is what makes us invisible.

      In Latin America, a continent where waste management often defies the spatial and economic capacities of cities, waste pickers stand as key pillars for waste reduction, and at the same time contribute to combating climate change.

      Waste pickers know well that the best waste management strategies are zero waste systems. Our work is not dependent on a particular material or increased waste generation. On the contrary, the reduction of single-use materials at source, differentiated collection, and non-toxic recycling are also objectives for waste pickers’ groups.

      Because of this, when waste pickers talk about just transition, we do not focus on the quantity of waste or access to a particular material, but rather we refer to concrete issues related to recognition, visibility, integration, and the creation of opportunities.

      In this sense, the recovery of organic waste now opens up a range of opportunities for waste pickers. This is an opportunity that we were not seeing in a cross-cutting way, even though we do have colleagues starting to work on organics. While the need to reduce methane emissions opens doors, the needs for us to achieve this are the same as those we have when we refer to our work recovering household solid waste, which are: financing, infrastructure, machinery, transport logistics, support from a technical and administrative team, and training. With these needs covered, the recovery of organic material can provide new opportunities not only to waste pickers, but to more women and men who can find a job opportunity here.  So when policies that are truly oriented towards social justice and just transition are implemented, we expect them to guarantee essential rights, safe and healthy working environments and fair access to waste.

      The Asociación de Recicladores de Chile (National Association of Waste Pickers of Chile ANARCH), a group of 5,000 waste pickers, representing a universe of 60,000 thousand waste pickers across the country, with 54 regional leaders, wants to embark with great strength and commitment on organic waste management. First with those who have access to land, and then with more waste pickers as we begin to see the results of inclusion and just transition policies. Also let’s remember that our colleagues who are currently working in landfills and dumpsites must enter into a process of readjustment in the face of what the closure of these spaces means. We hope that this process of closure and transformation will translate into an opportunity to invest in and, why not, convert these landfills into spaces for organic waste treatment.

      We waste pickers need – and want – opportunities to be created that allow us to take care of household solid waste and now also organic waste within the framework of the laws that are being implemented in our countries. But as I mentioned earlier, recovery ambitions must go hand in hand with local government ambitions for inclusion and investment.

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      Contributed by Movimento Nacional de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis (MNCR)

      The fight for environmental justice is strong in Brazil, and a powerful example is the social movement MNCR (Movimento Nacional de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis or the National Movement of Waste Pickers), which has been organizing recyclable material collectors throughout Brazil for roughly 20 years. They seek to uplift waste pickers as important members of society, and fight for recognition, inclusion and appreciation of the work that they do.

      Aline Sousa, CENTCOOP

       

      For two decades, MNCR has played a crucial role in organizing waste pickers across the country. Their main platforms are advocating for independence and solidarity for the oppressed class, fighting against incineration and privatization of waste, minimizing environmental impacts, and building popular power to sustain the planet. 

       

      Currently, it is estimated that there are between 800 thousand and 1 million waste pickers in Brazil. Around 1664 municipalities throughout the country have adopted separate collection, where waste pickers are responsible for 30% of the total mass collected. Also, 42% of these municipalities exclusively rely on waste pickers to carry out this activity. These professionals clearly play an essential role in waste management in Brazil.

      One of the most prominent heroes of the movement is Aline Souza, who is currently serving her third term as President and Director of the Central das Cooperativas de Trabalho de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis do Distrito Federal – CENTCOOP, and is a state representative of the National Movement of Waste Pickers of Federal District (MNCR-DF) and the National Secretariat for Women and Youth of Unicatadores.

      The verb to rebuild and preserve has been part of Aline’s life since she was a child. At the age of 14, she started helping her grandmother with her recycling work, and since then she has worked in the sector, making recycling a way to transform her life and the lives of the people who work with her. She is part of the third generation of waste pickers in her family and is the mother of seven children. As a teenager, she dreamed of studying law. During the pandemic, she managed to get a 90% scholarship to study law, but today she has stopped her studies due to personal and professional demands.

      Her grassroots organization is called CENTCOOP, made up of 23 waste picker cooperatives. The CENTCOOP advocates for the social recognition of waste pickers, strengthens environmental education on recycling and the shared solid waste management, and contributes to the development of waste picker-led collection systems. 

      In 2023, CENTCOOP launched CREAR/DF – Centro de Referência em Educação Ambiental do Distrito Federal (Reference Center for Environmental Education in the Federal District), to educate the public on waste separation, engaging civil society, the private sector, public authorities and waste picker cooperatives to increase the quality of the solid waste that arrives at the cooperatives. Approximately 60% of the waste that the cooperatives in the Federal District currently receive is contaminated, and becomes refuse. Therefore educating and informing the population is key to improving segregated collection and municipal solid waste (MSW) management for a circular economy.

      Proper waste management is not only an essential municipal service,  but a lynchpin for the climate. Today, Brazil collects 65.6 million tons of MSW yearly. Although 45.6%of waste collected is organic, only 0.4% is composted. Currently, only 2% is diverted from disposal: landfills receive 71.6% of the total waste collected and dumps 26.4%. The country emits 5.5% of global methane emissions, with the waste sector accounting for 16%, placing organic waste disposal as the second largest source of methane emissions in Brazil.

      With this in mind, CENTCOOP has been developing a project to divert organic waste from the landfill in order to mitigate emissions from this sector, through the creation of a composting plant and a organic waste separate collection scheme, supported by the Pólis Institute and the Global Methane Hub (GMH). 

       

      Today, composting systems operated by waste pickers generate three to five times more jobs than landfills, highlighting the potential for expanding these operations. Composting not only has a positive impact on the local economy, but also recognizes organic solid waste as an economic asset with social value. This generates work and income and promotes citizenship, as advocated by the National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS). 

      In addition to valuing the main players in the MSW management system and the most vulnerable population, the new MSW management models– which include waste picker-led composting operations– are part of a just transition and have a positive impact on the economy. The role of waste pickers is fundamental, not only as a legal priority in MSW management, but as drivers of social technologies that increase recycling and boost local development. The Environmental justice principles demonstrated by MNCR provide dignity and job creation for marginalized groups, while reducing methane emissions from the waste sector and promoting a circular economy.

       

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      Contributed by Trivandrum Municipal Corporation (TMC)

      The Zero Waste Story of Trivandrum, India

      Trivandrum is the capital city of Kerala, the southernmost state of India. In 2011, the city was hit hard by the shutdown of its only municipal landfill at Vilappilsala (in the city outskirts) after locals protested the mismanagement of waste at the site. It was then that the city’s local body decided to shift its waste management practices to a decentralized system. The Trivandrum Municipal Corporation (TMC) is the largest local self-government institution with 100 wards, about 1 million in population, and an area of 214.86 sq. km.  Being the capital city, there is also a floating population of 200 thousand per day. The city produces around 423 tons of waste per day out of which more than 70 percent is organic waste.

      The decentralized waste management system of TMC introduced segregated collection of waste ensuring source-level composting and decentralized resource recovery. This is done with the help of 1,139 ‘Haritha Karma Sena’ (Green Action Force) members who are tasked to collect non-biodegradable waste materials from each household. For this, they earn a user fee of Rs.100 per month from each house that they visit. The Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) members, 90 percent of whom are women, visit every house twice a month for plastic collection. The municipal corporation also has a calendar made for non-biodegradable waste collection according to which the people should hand over different types of waste material to HKS in allotted months (for example, old cloth, bags, and sandals in October). The collected non-biodegradables are then sent to authorized recyclers.

      The city follows source-level composting for organic waste. Each household has access to bio-waste management facilities provided by the local body, such as composting bins or kitchen bins, pipe compost, biogas plants, etc. which are provided at a highly subsidized cost. Communities or households who do not have enough space to plant such source-level composting facilities can drop their bio-waste at the nearby aerobic bins. There are close to 60 aerobic bins distributed to the 100 wards in the city. These aerobic bins have trained staff who process the waste to convert it to compost that is used for urban farming. Bulk generators like hotels, restaurants, commercial establishments, community halls, and institutions are also responsible for segregating their waste at source. They then have to hand over their non-bio waste to the HKS and wet waste to authorized pig farmers or plant owners who process and use it for animal feed.

      The city also introduced a ‘Green Protocol,’ (a set of measures to reduce waste generation), the first in India to do so. A large group of youth leaders called the Green Army volunteers assist the city corporation to enforce the Green Protocol at all major events and festivals, raise awareness against littering, promote alternative products, and many more vital activities. 

      This formalization of decentralized resource recovery, source-level segregation, and composting are examples of zero waste solutions that are based on the principles of environmental justice:

      1.     The Green Protocol measures and promotion of alternative products through Green Army youth volunteers’ awareness campaigns are meant to advance the commitments of governments, the public, and private institutions to reducing consumption, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. This is a major step towards respecting planetary boundaries and ensuring intergenerational equity.
      2.     The HKS helps to keep the city clean and aids every household to manage their waste responsibly. The mandatory user fee payment to HKS, forming the HKS consortium, pays for green uniforms, necessary equipment for safe waste collection, and training sessions to HKS to convert them to Green Technicians who can provide technical assistance to every household and institution in using source-level composting technologies. These initiatives show how the city corporation ensures and promotes respect for workers in the field of waste management. They are not seen as waste pickers but as a part of the city corporation’s enforcement force.
      3.     Trivandrum’s decentralized waste management infrastructure also enhances inclusion– many HKS members and Green Army volunteers are from different social backgrounds. The city corporation also makes sure that all communities in the city have access to the facilities and technologies for waste management.
      4.     The officials of the corporation’s health wing have a day and night patrolling squad to prevent littering. The squad acts as an enforcement agency that imposes a fine for non-compliance. The state has introduced a new scheme that rewards 10 percent of the punishment fine to responsible individuals who report such violations, with evidence, to the squad. These measures ensure that there is accountability for environmental harm.
      5.     These practices’ combined yields generate income for waste management facilitators or HKS, leading to a just transition. It ensures a sense of responsibility among the public, especially the youth, in managing waste. The program also promotes a critical narrative shift amongst the general populous– that what we see as trash is actually a resource. This systemic point of view has led to increased adoption of holistic solutions for zero waste.

      The TMC has ensured stakeholder participation in solid waste management and has adopted creative and scientific methods for methane reduction, which undoubtedly make the city a model in solid waste management that can be followed by other states and nations through necessary modifications that suit their local characteristics.

       

      References

      https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/ten-zero-waste-cities-how-thiruvananthapuram-cleaned-up-its-act-68539

      https://haritham.kerala.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Thiruvananthapuram-1.pdf

      https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/accidental-shift-to-decentralised-waste-management-helps-thiruvananthapuram/article66675058.ece

      https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2023/mar/26/thiruvananthapuram-corporation-budget-gives-thrust-to-green-initiatives-2559568.html

      https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/civic-body-to-develop-smart-waste-management-system/articleshow/101793009.cms

      https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/waste-dumped-near-operation-theatre-tvm-corporation-slaps-rs-10k-fine-on-govt-hospital-1.8968704

      https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/improper-waste-disposal-892-establishments-served-notice/articleshow/99199073.cms

       

       

       

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