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RETE DONNE BRIANZA
Brianza’s Women Network
Who are we ?
We are a group of citizens, women with young children, but also fathers and grandparents, and just ordinary citizens, who started to act against waste incineration because we were not ready to accept the health risks of incineration next to our houses.
When was the network founded ? Rete Donne Brianza started in May 2004 as a citizens’ network, following a meeting organised by a cultural association in Erba, a small city near Merone. The Association Rete Donne Brianza (RDB) was formally founded in October 2005 in Merone (in the province of Como).
Why was it founded ? To represent and strengthen the strong opposition of Brianza’s citizens to the Waste Plan of the Province of Como, which, if approved, would lead to the incineration of municipal, in addition to industrial wastes in the kilns of Swiss Holcim SPA, former Italian Cementeria di Merone. The plant can already burn 100,000 t/y of waste. We created this association to protect citizens’ health and the environment and to promote alternative solutions.
The Waste Plan The Waste Plan, which was approved in December 2004, allows the Council of the Province of Como to sign agreements with private plants for municipal waste disposal, and thus it opens the way to using Merone’s cement kiln as an incinerator.
Why we say NO to: waste incineration in general, and co-incineration in particular. We have collected dozens of scientific studies from authoritative sources from all over the world which leave no doubts on the SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS DERIVING FROM WASTE INCINERATION, a process that leads to the formation of very dangerous persistent and bioaccumulable toxic compounds, such as FURANS, PCBs and DIOXINS. Just think that about 60% of all the dioxins produced in the world derives from the incineration of municipal and industrial waste.
Children’s health must to be protected. During pregnancy and breast-feeling all the dioxins a woman has accumulated in her life are transferred to the foetus. In the first 6 months of their life babies absorb 60% of all the dioxins they will accumulate in their lives. It has been shown that dioxins can compromise/interfere with:
intelligence development
immune response
hormonal development
Alternatives, good examples
As envisaged by the Ronchi Law Decree of 1997, we should first of all: recycle, re-use, compost and reduce waste, and only incinerate what is left. There are 12 incinerators in Lombardy out of a total of 42 all over Italy. They are more than is needed, if we used existing viable and cost-effective alternatives. In the USA, Canada and Australia the Zero Waste Option (changing production methods and reducing waste at source) is creating jobs and improving people’s quality of life.
What we have done
Collected and disseminated information (web site, leaflets, conferences)
A Petition against the Waste Plan and incineration of all waste in Merone (on-going)
Letters to and meetings with local political, health and environmental authorities.
What we have achieved
Brought waste incineration in Merone to the attention of the local press /local authorities
10.000 signatures against Province Waste Plan and incineration of all waste in Merone
Statements, Resolutions, Decisions approved by local authorities in opposition to the Plan
A modification to the Waste Plan – reference to environmental and health controls (not what we wanted, yet a first result).
Our goals (short term)
Prevent incineration of municipal and toxic waste in Merone’s cement kiln Stop incineration of all waste (including industrial, non toxic waste) in Merone’s cement plant.
Promote waste sorting and collection of waste for recycling and composting
Our goals (long term)
Help prevent the creation of new incinerators or the expansion of existing ones in Lombardy and anywhere else in Italy and Europe.
Promote waste prevention and clean production
Educate and inform, in order to bring about changes in people’s consumer patterns.
Actions and projects
Collection of health and environmental data
Awareness campaign towards both the public and the authorities
Monitoring environmental quality
Networking at a national and European level.
Rete Donne Brianza is a member of GAIA, the Global Anti- Incineration Alliance/Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives, it is actively participating in the creation of a European anti incineration network and it is part of the Italian network against incineration.
If you want to contact us, you can
e mail us in English. We are eager to establish contacts with groups and people abroad and we will answer you as soon as possible.
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