The release of a groundbreaking international report, Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Waste Reduction is a Climate Gamechanger, says that at the global scale the two main sources of GHGs from the waste sector are methane from organics in landfill and CO2 from burning waste plastic.

“The evidence in this report makes it very clear that burning plastic waste for energy recovery is not an effective mitigation strategy,” said Sue Coutts from the Zero Waste Network.

“We need to oppose plans for the ‘waste-to-energy’ incinerator proposals that are popping up all over the country. Plastics are made from fossil fuels, and every tonne that gets burnt creates 1.43t of CO2. Incineration is a false solution that creates more problems than it solves.”

There are three waste-to-energy incinerators in consenting stages that would all burn plastic waste (in Waimate, Te Awamutu and Feilding). There are no waste-to-energy incinerators in Aotearoa NZ now.

The Zero Waste Network is supporting the release of this important report produced by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

The report clearly outlines why zero waste is an essential part of any climate plan.

“The waste sector accounts for about 4% of NZ's overall emissions. Using zero waste strategies means we can also tackle emissions up and down supply chains.”

The report tells us that at least 70% of global emissions come from the manufacture, transport, use and disposal of goods, and a focus on waste reduction could significantly reduce the emissions in these sectors too.”

“The real value of a zero waste approach is the focus on redesigning systems and products so we don’t make unnecessary stuff in the first place. Simple zero waste strategies like reduce, reuse and repair mean we can keep things in circulation for longer.”

“A major focus of the GAIA report is on reducing methane emissions from landfill by diverting organic materials like food and garden waste to composting systems. Returning compost to our soils is a win-win because it makes soil more resilient to drought and floods because the soil can absorb and hold more moisture. Our Emissions Reduction Plan already includes lots of this critical climate work. It doesn’t make any sense to start burning plastic which would emit CO2 and undo all our hard work to address climate change.”

“The introduction of zero waste systems across Aotearoa would be one of the quickest and most affordable ways to reduce global heating and stay below 1.5°C of warming. Our largest city, Auckland, has already embraced a zero waste by 2040 goal; we need that kind of commitment across the country - and most critically from central government.”

You can read more about each of the current incinerator proposals on the Zero Waste Network website.

The link for the report, Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Waste Reduction is a Climate Gamechanger is here: https://www.no-burn.org/zerowaste-zero-emissions/.

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