Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)

Subject : Environment

Section: Environment International conventions

• The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) is an international organization working to promote sustainable and just solutions to waste management. GAIA works with community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and policy makers to promote waste reduction, recycling, and composting, and to oppose incineration and landfills as harmful waste management practices.
• GAIA was founded in 2000 as a global network of grassroots organizations working on waste issues. Its mission is to promote sustainable waste management solutions that protect public health, the environment, and human rights.
• GAIA works on a range of issues related to waste management, including zero waste, toxic pollution, climate change, and the circular economy. Its programs include research and policy advocacy, capacity building and training, and media and communications.
• GAIA promotes the concept of zero waste, which aims to reduce waste generation and maximize recycling and composting. This approach prioritizes waste reduction and reuse, and encourages the development of local, community-based solutions to waste management.
• GAIA opposes the use of incineration and landfills as harmful and unsustainable waste management practices. Incineration releases toxic pollutants into the air and generates greenhouse gas emissions, while landfills can lead to soil and water contamination and contribute to climate change.
• GAIA works with policy makers at the local, national, and international levels to promote sustainable waste management policies and regulations. This includes advocating for extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies that hold manufacturers responsible for the end-of-life management of their products.

Biotransformation technology:

• Biotransformation technology is a process that uses microorganisms to transform organic compounds into less toxic or more useful products. It is a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods, as it is typically less energy-intensive and generates less waste.
• Biotransformation can be used to transform a variety of organic compounds, including chemicals used in pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and food additives. The two main types of biotransformation are biodegradation, which breaks down complex organic molecules into simpler compounds, and biotransformation, which modifies the structure of organic compounds to produce more useful or less toxic products.
• Biotransformation relies on microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, to carry out the chemical transformations. These microorganisms can be found in a variety of environments, including soil, water, and the human gut.
• Plastics made using this technology are given a pre-programmed time during which the manufactured material looks and feels like conventional plastics without compromising on quality. Once the product expires and is exposed to the external environment, it self-destructs and biotransforms into bioavailable wax. This wax is then consumed by microorganisms, converting waste into water, CO2, and biomass.
• Biotransformation technology is the world’s first that ensures polyolefins fully biodegrade in an open environment causing no microplastics.