zero waste

Zero waste

Last edited 18 March 2002 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
27 March, 2002

The UK is in the middle of a waste crisis. New European legislation has spelt the beginning of the end for the polluting and unpopular practice of land-filling our rubbish. This has created a stampede by local authorities for incinerators, which are also hugely unpopular with the public and produce a range of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals.

However, a totally new way of looking at waste is emerging that removes the need to burn or bury our rubbish; Zero Waste.

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Article tagged as: chemicals, incineration, land-fill, reports, zero waste

European law requires less waste to be landfilled. How would you like to see this met in your area?

Last edited 24 February 2002 at 9:00am
SELCHP incineratorWhat Greenpeace says:


An incinerator does not eliminate the need for landfill. A third of what is burnt ends up as ash which has concentrated levels of pollutants in it. A further 10 - 15% can not be burnt and goes directly to landfill. The rest of the material burnt is emitted through the chimney stack in the form of extremely poisonous gases and particles. The stack is designed to spread these pollutants over a wide area but many are re-concentrated by nature and enter the food chain. Incinerators make waste less visible, but they do not solve the problem. They transform waste into pollution.

Article tagged as: incineration, land-fill, recycling, SELCHP, toxics, zero waste

The Environmental Trust: As a pollutant, waste demands controls

Last edited 7 February 2002 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
7 February, 2002

As an embodiment of accumulated energy and materials it invites an alternative.
(The whole file is 1mb; the report is broken down below for easier download)

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Article tagged as: incineration, land-fill, publications, reports, toxics, waste management, zero waste

The sustainable solution to our waste crisis

Last edited 29 November 2001 at 9:00am
Sheffield incinerator: toxic crime

Sheffield incinerator: toxic crime

Article tagged as: incineration, recycling, toxics, zero waste

The Incinerator Buster campaign

Last edited 29 November 2001 at 9:00am
Incineration: Zero Waste campaign logo

Incinerator Busters come in all shapes and sizes from all corners of the UK. They are united in the knowledge that burning rubbish is not the way to deal with household waste. They are the people taking on councils and MPs, demanding an end to all rubbish burning and a revolution in the way we deal with waste.

The cornerstone of their work is Getting to Zero Waste: A Citizen's Resource Recovery Strategy, a document produced in consultation with internationally renowned waste experts. It proves that county and district councils can meet recycling and landfill diversion targets without incineration. The citizen's strategy mirrors the appearance and general content of the waste strategies that each local authority must complete. The main difference, of course, is that the citizen's strategy, like the Greenpeace report How to comply with the Landfill Directive without incineration, shows how to meet targets without incineration.

Article tagged as: incineration, toxics, zero waste

Greenpeace provides the answer to waste crisis

Last edited 29 November 2001 at 9:00am
29 November, 2001

Greenpeace tells local authorities 'no need to build incinerators'

International environment group Greenpeace has produced a guide for UK local authorities, which explains how to deal with the mounting national waste crisis without resorting to unpopular and polluting waste incinerators.

Article tagged as: european landfill directive, incineration, land-fill, press releases, toxics, zero waste

Greenpeace tells waste summit that incinerating rubbish has no future

Last edited 21 November 2001 at 9:00am
21 November, 2001

Greenpeace will argue for an immediate ban on new waste incinerators at the Government's 'Waste Summit', held today (21/11/01) in London. The environment group will present a policy aimed at achieving maximum possible reductions in the disposal of municipal waste and propose a new way forward in waste management involving waste reduction, re-use, recycling and composting.

Article tagged as: DEFRA, incineration, press releases, toxics, zero waste

Incinerator buster's tool kit

Last edited 20 November 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
20 November, 2001

The Incinerator Buster tool kit includes everything you need to oppose a proposal to build an incinerator in your area. The download is a zip file, inlcuding a pdf version with directions for filling in the template document and an editable word template. Use this template to create a peoples waste strategy for your area.

Alternatively you can download separate elements of the toolkit:

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Article tagged as: incineration, reports, zero waste

Incineration and human health

Last edited 9 November 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
9 November, 2001

By Michelle Allsopp, Pat Costner and Paul Johnston. Abridged version

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Article tagged as: health impacts, incineration, reports, zero waste

Communications on health impacts of waste to Local Authorities

Last edited 9 November 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
9 November, 2001

Copies of the correspondence sent to Loal Authorities as part of the Greenpeace Zero Waste campaign.

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Article tagged as: health impacts, incineration, reports, zero waste