No Incinerator 4 Horsham Community Group (Ni4H) together with 156 organisations, signed Zero Waste Europe’s joint letter calling for an EU-level moratorium on new waste incineration projects.
No Incinerator 4 Horsham Community Group (Ni4H) and more than 150 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have today (30 September 2025) issued a joint letter to President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commissioners, and national ministers calling for an immediate moratorium on approving and building new waste incineration facilities across the European Union (EU).
Led by the Zero Waste Europe network, this coalition is calling for:
- An EU-wide moratorium on new waste incinerators (R1 and D10);
- Phase-down strategies for existing incineration capacity;
- Increased investment in circular economy infrastructure, such as reuse systems, composting, and recycling technologies.
The 156 signatories warn that the EU already faces a significant overcapacity crisis in waste incineration, with existing facilities capable of handling at least 60 million tonnes of municipal waste. Expanding incineration will undermine the EU’s waste hierarchy and circular economy objectives as it locks Member States into a high-emission, linear waste management model.
The letter also reminds politicians that incineration is increasingly recognised as a climate liability. Recent studies highlight the high carbon intensity of incineration, which often exceeds that of fossil-based energy sources due to the significant amount of plastic in residual waste. Building new incinerators today would commit Europe to decades of unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, directly conflicting with the EU Green Deal and climate neutrality goals.
The letter was sent as part of today’s wider Day of Action Against Incineration of the “Better than Burning’’ campaign, which includes a Manifesto and social media testimonials from Zero Waste Europe network on the harmful impact of waste incineration in their countries.
Communities living near existing incinerators have been vocal about the health impacts of toxic emissions, including persistent pollutants such as dioxins, PFAS, and heavy metals. These pollutants are linked to cancer, immune dysfunction, and developmental harm.
Janek Vahk, Zero Pollution Policy Manager at Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) said: “A moratorium is a necessary first step to protect public health, cut emissions, and enable a just transition to a zero waste, circular economy. Given the average life of incinerators, around 5% of capacity may already be decommissioned or retired each year, which is a realistic pathway to gradually reduce Europe’s reliance on this polluting technology.’’
Two dozen of the letter’s 156 signatories are based in the UK, and as waste – in the form of refuse derived fuel (RDF) – can be both exported from the UK and imported into the UK, there is a clear connection between EU waste management and the situation in the UK.
According to Shlomo Dowen, National Coordinator of the United Kingdom Without Incineration Network (UKWIN): “The UK can be proud of Wales and Scotland, who have led efforts to support the circular economy by banning any new waste incineration capacity. UKWIN joins many others in calling for this approach to be adopted for England, Northern Ireland, and the rest of the European Continent. Such a shift away from incineration will help the transition to a more circular economy where resources are valued and not destroyed.”
Dorota Napierska, Toxic-free Circular Economy Policy Officer at ZWE, added: “Regardless of how modern it is and what it burns, waste incinerators always produce and release harmful chemicals for the environment and communities. Some of these chemicals are considered “the worst of the worst”, and despite industry assurances, they are scientifically proven to be dangerous. A moratorium is essential to stop this vicious cycle.’’
Further resources
- The harmful impact of waste incineration:
- Alternatives to waste incineration:
Press contacts:
Ana Oliveira, Head of Communications at Zero Waste Europe, news@zerowasteeurope.eu
Do not hesitate to contact Zero Waste Europe if you want to interview our network of national experts / representatives on alternatives to waste incineration.
About Zero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) is the European network of communities, local leaders, experts, and change agents working towards a better use of resources and the elimination of waste in our society. We advocate for sustainable systems; for the redesign of our relationship with resources; and for a global shift towards environmental justice, accelerating a just transition towards zero waste for the benefit of people and the planet. www.zerowasteeurope.eu
About the United Kingdom Without Incineration Network (UKWIN)
The United Kingdom Without Incineration Network (UKWIN) is a network of anti-incineration campaigners founded in 2007 by anti-incineration groups, with the active support of Friends of the Earth. UKWIN is the UK’s umbrella organisation for those opposing incineration because of adverse impacts on recycling, climate change, resource security, health and the environment. UKWIN’s overarching mission is to bring about an end to the incineration of mixed waste, and we have worked with more than 200 local grassroots campaign groups and helped stop more than 150 incinerator proposals. https://ukwin.org.uk/
About No Incinerator 4 Horsham Community Group (Ni4H)
No Incinerator 4 Horsham Community Group (Ni4H) is a voluntary group formed in 2016 by local residents, to raise awareness and campaign against the controversial proposal for an incinerator in North Horsham, near the new Mowbray Village, in West Sussex, UK. The new owners, Qair, call it the CHER project. Construction of the substantial building and 95-metre chimney stack, to process 230,000 tonnes of waste per year, has not started. The 3-year construction programme including cold commissioning, followed by hot commissioning, with burning of waste, was expected to start in Summer 2023. https://ni4h.org/
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