HOW WE CAN HANDLE WASTE BETTER

“International zero waste experts, Professor Emeritus, Paul Connett, St Lawrence University, Canton New York and Professor Steffen Lehman, Head of Architecture and the School of the Built Environment at Curtin University, a zero waste and planning expert, will together with Mr lee Bell, heavy metals expert to the International Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Elimination Network (IPEN) and National Toxics Network (NTN) will be participating in a panel discussion, taking questions from the public about the four incinerators recently approved by the WA EPA and alternative solutions.

This is an incredible opportunity to hear from some of the worlds leading experts on the dangers of incineration and the pathways towards sustainable zero waste solutions for Western Australia.

The south metro region has been targeted for two massive incinerators making this an environmental health and justice issue for all south metro regional councils, their constituents and the environment.

As such all WA local governments are under pressure from regional councils to commit to long term waste management contracts to secure the vast waste streams needed to fuel the waste to energy incinerators planned for WA. With four incinerators approved in WA now, this pressure is set to increase. To understand how this dirty energy industry is being promoted, this article may be of interest to you.
http://www.energyjustice.net/content/zero-waste-landfill-how-incinerators-get-promoted

Don’t miss this great opportunity. Tuesday 17th Feb 2015, 6pm, Lotteries House, 2 Delhi St, West Perth. (on the Freo train line City West train stop)

LET’S NOT WASTE OUR FUTURE

 Paul Connett, Professor Emeritus in Environmental Chemistry at St Lawrence University in Canton, New York will share his expertise and scientific knowledge about incineration impacts and safer zero waste solution. 6pm Tues 17th Feb 2015 Conference room Lotteries West House, 2 Delhi st, West Perth.

Dr Connett is also author of Zero Waste Solutions: Untrashing the Planet One Community at a Time.

This public forum is brought to you by The Alliance for a Clean Environment and Zero Waste WA.

The WA EPA has approved four waste to energy incinerators for WA, despite claims that these technologies will increase recycling and provide renewable energy. The reality is that they are the dirtiest and most expensive form of energy production, releasing more ghg’s per unit of energy than both coal and gas, as well as toxic persistent organic pollutants, for which there is no safe level of exposure.

Where these plants operate elsewhere in the world they undermine the recycling sector by having to burn recyclable materials to maintain commercial viability. This is not the sustainable waste management future WA needs or deserves.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR WASTE

Waste is a huge problem all over the planet. Domestic and commercial waste needs to go somewhere, so it ends up in landfill or designated areas, where often toxic waste leaks into the ground and ground water.

What is the future of waste a forum at the Fremantle Town Hall asked, with an indication that an incinerator at Kwinana could be the preferred option.

It is always difficult for lay-people to know what the facts are, so I won’t even attempt to deal with the technicalities, but it became clear that even incinerators still produce toxic ash that goes into landfill, and release toxic gas that pollutes the atmosphere. No surprise then that there were quite a few people from Kwinana asking the question why they should live with other council’s pollution.

It is neither practical nor economically viable for every council to operate their own incinerators, so the locations for them are always going to be controversial. As Greens Lynn MacLaren said, Cockburn Sound Cement problems have not given the community much confidence, as locals have had to live with toxic smells and dust from that plant for years.

In my opinion the problem with waste management around the world is that it is re-active instead of pro-active. We produce far too much waste and that needs to stop and it starts with our manufacturers and supermarkets. Society should no longer tolerate excessive and double packaging, plastic bags in cardboard boxes, etc. etc. The pressure needs to be put on our governments, but also on Coles and Woolworth and let them know we no longer want old-fashioned packaging, but we insist on new, more environmentally friendly and less packaging. That would be a start.

We also need to turn around our wasteful mentality and throw away attitude, the need in the western world to have the latest of everything, thus making perfectly working appliances obsolete and ready for the enormous global waste heap. We need to ask ourselves if we really need the latest mobile, TV, computer, camera, kitchen gadget, or if what we’ve got will suffice for many more years.

Waste management should start with each and every one of us. WE need to reduce the amount of waste we produce because WE are creating a huge problem for all of us.

Are incinerators the solution or just our way of making governments responsible for our inconsiderate behaviour?  Taking ownership of our waste would be a good start.

Roel Loopers

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF OUR WASTE?

After the showing of the documentary TRASHED at Fremantle REPLANTS on Wray Avenue on Friday at 7pm, the City of Fremantle is also holding an information session on the Future of WAste at the Town Hall on Tuesday the 29th of July at 6 pm.

This is an opportunity for the community to give Fremantle council feedback on how we would want them to handle our waste, so turn up in droves and show you care about our future and the attempt to minimise landfill.

There are quite a few speakers:

* Tim Youe-CEO of the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council

* Piers Verstegen-Director of the Conservation Council of Western Australia

* Peter Dyson- managing Director of Phoenix Energy

* Jason Pugh-General Manager of New Energy

* Adam Johnson-Founder of Garbologie

 

Roel Loopers

COMBUSTION INCINERATORS TRASHED

Fremantle REPLANTS is showing the documentary TRASHED this Friday July 25 at 7 pm at 96 Wray Avenue, Freo. Here is some of what it is about:

” South Metro community are facing the threat of the largest mass combustion incinerator in the Southern Hemisphere as well as the largest Gasification incinerator and a potential Pyrolysis incinerator. These dirty waste to energy technologies will pollute the region with dangerous dioxin and mercury, destroy finite resources, undermine green jobs and leave a legacy of toxic ash requiring secure landfill. They do not produce clean renewable energy and will undermine the recycling and composting sectors which provide society with real zero waste outcomes that are safer, sustainable and ethical.

Trashed highlights the global waste problem and our role in its generation and management. It is a very confronting documentary…be warned…but essential viewing for those who care about sustainability and the misleading information being touted by our local, state and regional levels of government and their industry mates. Don’t miss this great opportunity to gain knowledge and thus power to make change in our communities! All welcome!”

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/444068685733179/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming