Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)

By Lien De Brouckere, Global Batteries Lead, GAIA

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The typical story about second-life EV batteries goes like this: EV batteries degrade, and instead of being sent for recycling, innovative companies give the viable ones a next-best life as stationary energy storage for another 10+ years — storing solar energy, shaving peak demand, keeping the lights on during outages. It’s something that we at GAIA strongly advocate for, and that’s why I visited Moment Energy’s new Megafactory 1 outside Vancouver late last month. 

I went to understand the state of the sector, what’s working, and where policy is falling short. What I didn’t expect was to walk away with an even more compelling story: repurposing surplus new EV batteries, outcompeting recycling companies for feedstock, and the need for more education about the key role stationary batteries play – whether new or repurposed – in reducing reliance on fossil fuels.   

Moment Energy is one of a small number of companies worldwide repurposing retired EV batteries at commercial scale. Their new facility in Surrey, BC is the world’s largest second-life battery operation, manufacturing 1 GWh of battery capacity by 2030.  Sumreen Rattan, one of Moment Energy’s co-founders and Chief Operating Officer, graciously hosted me at their facility that had just been inaugurated the week prior; staff and equipment were still at their other facility. 

Lien and Sumreen in front of the Moment Energy Full Luna 1 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) — Photo by Matt Tonello. .stk-776650c {height:25px !important;} The Overproduction Problem

Here’s what caught my attention: today, Moment Energy’s primary feedstock isn’t retired EV batteries, because there are just not enough of those yet. It’s surplus battery production — cells and packs manufactured for EVs that were never installed in a vehicle, a direct consequence of the past few years’ massive overproduction. The large wave of genuinely end-of-life EV batteries is still ahead of us, with 953 GWh of capacity expected globally by 2030. Right now, the repurposing sector is partly running on the overflow from a manufacturing boom that outpaced demand.

Inauguration ceremony demonstration set-up of used EV batteries at Megafactory 1. — Photo by Matt Tonello.

This matters for how we frame the problem. Battery waste isn’t only about what happens at the batteries’ end-of-life — it starts upstream, with how many batteries are produced in the first place. GAIA has been drawing attention to the massive scale of battery overproduction – 2 to 5 times global demand – in our work on mineral demand reduction, and it was striking to see it show up so concretely on the factory floor.

.stk-dab987f {height:25px !important;} Outcompeting Recyclers — On Price

The other dynamic I learned about is how Moment Energy acquires batteries to repurpose. They work directly with OEM automakers, typically collecting retired batteries frequently at an average of 80% state of health. A battery leaving a car at that level of health isn’t worn out; it’s just no longer suited to the high-performance demands of an EV drivetrain. For stationary storage — where a battery sits in a stationary unit cycling energy, rather than accelerating a vehicle — it has potentially decades of useful life ahead.

Moment Energy covers all collection and transport costs, built into their business model. In some cases, they receive batteries at no charge, with logistics as the only cost. This means Moment Energy is competing with recyclers at the point of acquisition — and winning on economics. Recyclers typically charge OEMs for collection. Moment Energy doesn’t. For an automaker deciding where a battery goes, that’s a meaningful difference, and it’s one that policy should reinforce rather than leave to chance.

.stk-6a93e83 {height:25px !important;} What the Megafactory Does Differently

The facility is designed to operate under UL 1974 certification — the safety standard for evaluating and grading repurposed or remanufactured electric vehicle (EV) batteries — and backs its systems with a 10-year warranty. These aren’t incidental details. They’re the difference between a product that can be deployed in grid-connected places such as hospitals, airports, and commercial buildings and one that can’t. 

.stk-b43bf93 {height:25px !important;} Promotional video by Moment Energy — June 23, 2026. .stk-81e3b5c {height:25px !important;}

What is more, the Surrey facility is fully vertically integrated: batteries arrive, are tested at the cell level, assessed for second-life viability, repacked with Moment Energy’s own battery management system, assembled into commercial units, and shipped — all in-house.

One genuinely new capability is a cold environment chamber that accelerates battery degradation down to 60% state of health. This might sound like an obscure technical detail, but it matters: almost all existing industry modeling of battery performance stops at 80% SoH, the point at which a battery leaves an EV. Repurposers have largely been operating without good data on what happens after that. Moment Energy is building the testing infrastructure to understand the full second-life performance curve. No one else is doing this at commercial scale.

.stk-56e7529 {height:25px !important;} The Real Education Gap

One exchange from the visit has stayed with me. I asked whether the public and the market still needed convincing about second-life batteries — whether customer skepticism was a significant barrier. Sumreen Rattan pushed back on the framing.

“The education we need to do isn’t really about second-life batteries,” she said. “It’s about batteries in general — helping customers understand how storage saves them money through peak shaving and demand charge reduction. Once they get that, the second-life question takes care of itself.”

The examples that brought this to life were instructive. Moment Energy’s systems have been deployed alongside diesel generators in remote locations — including an island resort where their battery reduced diesel runtime by 75%. 

I was accompanied on the visit by Matthew Tonello, Project Executive at Consigli Construction Co., Inc., who is exploring whether and how Moment Energy’s systems could replace diesel generators in a university and a playhouse project currently in the design phases. This was a concrete illustration of what Moment Energy is selling to commercial and industrial customers facing cost penalties when demand spikes. I learned that the goal isn’t simply to swap one power source for another. What Moment Energy is really selling, increasingly, is participation in a broader energy management logic: a system that can anticipate when a building or facility is about to hit a demand peak, automatically shift to drawing power from the battery, and dial back grid or generator draw before costs spike. This kind of automated load management builds a strong financial case for batteries within a smarter overall energy infrastructure system. 

This education gap is a useful corrective. The conversation in civil society and policy circles often centers on convincing people that repurposed batteries are safe and reliable. But for many potential customers, the threshold issues — why would I want any battery storage at all and how do I use it? — are important first questions to address.

.stk-e0d5900 {height:25px !important;} Sumreen shows samples of battery modules for testing. — Photo by Matt Tonello. .stk-65ac1d1 {height:25px !important;} Where Policy Is Falling Short

Moment Energy has an active policy team in the US and Canada, although this doesn’t yet extend to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). That’s not unusual for a company at their stage, and it makes it all the more important that civil society organizations are present in the rooms where these frameworks are being designed.

Sumreen shared three important policy gaps to address.

There is no waste management hierarchy. In most jurisdictions, nothing requires that a battery be evaluated for second-life viability before it goes to a recycler. Recyclers compete for the same feedstock and have well-established collection infrastructure that gives them a structural advantage. Codifying a highest-and-best-use principle — second-life before recycling — would change the incentive structure in ways that market economics alone won’t deliver.

Data doesn’t travel with the battery. Assessing whether a battery is viable for repurposing requires its history: state of health, charge cycles, active faults, internal monitoring data. That information typically lives with the automaker and isn’t transferred when the battery changes hands. Without it, repurposers are partly testing blind. Battery passport frameworks need to address this directly, and civil society should be pushing for provisions that make this data accessible to the repurposing sector.

Tax incentives are doing heavy lifting — inconsistently. In the US market, Investment Tax Credit eligibility has been decisive for Moment Energy’s competitiveness against cheaper imported alternatives. But ITC rules weren’t designed with second-life batteries in mind, and eligibility isn’t always certain. Explicit policy design here — rather than leaving repurposers to navigate rules built for new battery manufacturing — would do more to level the playing field.

.stk-385dabd {height:25px !important;} What Comes Next

The repurposing sector is further along than many people realize — commercially viable, technically credible, and already out-competing recyclers on price for batteries that have years of useful life remaining. The feedstock wave is coming. The infrastructure is being built. What’s lagging is the policy environment.

For those of us working on battery waste, the task is ensuring that the frameworks being developed now — on extended producer responsibility, battery passports, safety certification — treat second-life as a genuine priority not only for retired EV batteries, but to leverage surplus batteries. 

The post A Visit to the World’s Largest Second-Life EV Battery Megafactory first appeared on GAIA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2026

Environmental organizations across Canada, part of the Canadian Zero Waste Coalition, have submitted joint comments to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) urging the province to reject a proposal that would classify waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration as renewable energy. If adopted, the proposal would amend Ontario’s Renewable Energy Approvals (REA) Regulation to expand the definition of biomass to include the biogenic fraction of municipal waste burned in waste incinerators. 

The coalition argues that waste incineration is not renewable energy and should not be classified as such. Municipal waste is the product of a linear economy (not a renewable resource) that externalizes the costs of products’ full lifecycles onto municipalities, the public, and the environment. WTE does not advance Ontario’s climate or waste reduction goals and locks communities into costly, polluting, and outdated infrastructure. 

The coalition is calling on Ontario’s government to reject the proposed amendment and instead prioritize policies that encourage waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting. 

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The Canadian Zero Waste Coalition brings together environmental and community organizations from across the country to oppose waste incineration and advance zero waste solutions. Through collaboration, advocacy, and public education, we work to promote policies that reduce waste at its source, protect communities from pollution, and accelerate the just transition to a zero waste economy.

The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) is a member-based, environmental justice network working at the intersection of waste, climate, and justice. In the United States and Canada, GAIA supports grassroots organizations that advance zero waste solutions, challenge the plastics and petrochemical industries, reduce methane emissions, and promote safe, sustainable practices for electric vehicle battery production and recycling.

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Press contact:

María Guillén, Communications & Network Development Manager, U.S. & Canada

mariaguillen@no-burn.org 

.stk-3zd1xyr {height:25px !important;} .stk-jg0v64e {height:25px !important;} ENGO-response-to-ERO-on-incineration-as-renewable-energy-updated-signatories-July-2026

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Photo Credit: Green Knowledge Foundation, Nigeria.

By Weyinmi Okotie, GAIA Africa, Clean Air Program Manager 

This week, 13 – 16 July, policymakers, scientists, civil society organisations, development partners, and community leaders will gather in Pretoria for the 2026 Africa Clean Air Forum. The theme is “Investment Case for Clean Air and Healthy Cities.” Air pollution is becoming one of Africa’s most pressing public health challenges. The forum is a crucial opportunity to shape the continent’s clean air agenda.

Over the years, the forum has grown beyond an annual conference. It has become a platform for collaboration. This helps governments, researchers, and communities share evidence, strengthen partnerships, and accelerate action on air pollution. Most importantly, it has raised air quality from a largely ignored environmental issue to a critical public health and development priority in Africa.  

Across Africa, awareness of air pollution is increasing as cities are investing in air quality monitoring. More cities are realising that clean air is essential for healthier communities, stronger economies, and climate resilience. 

The growth of air quality monitoring networks across the continent is especially encouraging. Reliable data leads to better policies, stronger accountability, and more informed public decision-making.  

But monitoring air pollution is only the beginning. The real measure of success lies in whether the investments that follow truly reduce pollution and improve people’s lives. As African governments seek solutions, we must ensure that the technologies promoted address the root cause of the problem rather than end-of-pipe solutions. 

While discussions on air pollution often focus on transport, industrial activities, and power generation, waste is a major yet frequently overlooked source of pollution in African cities. 

Open burning of waste is common in many communities due to poor collection systems, badly managed dumpsites, and limited waste infrastructure. Smoke from burning plastics, organic waste, and other mixed materials exposes nearby communities to harmful air pollutants and emits greenhouse gases.  

Open burning of waste accounts for 29% of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the air, and, together with other air pollutants, causes nearly 1.2 million premature deaths per year in Africa.

There is no doubt that Africa must stop open burning; the question is HOW do we achieve this?

Studies also highlight that around 70-80% of the municipal solid waste generated in African cities is recyclable – such as biodegradable waste, plastics and paper,and could be worth US$8 billion per year if kept in a circular economy. Hence, there is a need to support real solutions to waste management challenges in Africa, such as separation at source, waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting initiatives.

Increasingly, the industry is promoting waste-to-energy incineration as the solution to Africa’s municipal waste challenges. However, this is a false claim!

Incineration does not eliminate waste. It changes waste into emissions, toxic ash, and greenhouse gases. It also relies on a steady supply of combustible waste, creating long-term dependence on generating and burning materials that should be reduced, reused, recycled, or composted.  

For many African countries reviewing their waste systems, this is a critical moment. Decisions made today will shape urban infrastructure for decades. Investing in costly combustion technologies risks locking cities into a waste-management mode that competes with recycling, undermines resource recovery, and diverts limited public resources from real environmental justice efforts. 

The forum’s focus on increasing investment in clean air is both timely and necessary. Africa urgently needs more financial support to strengthen air quality monitoring, improve enforcement, build institutional capacity, and implement effective pollution control measures.  

However, as we work to increase clean air finance, we must ensure that the funds are NEVER used to support false solutions in the waste management sector, which are already known to emit a cocktail of noxious substances into our environment.

Funding for the waste sector should not support false solutions such as waste-to-energy incineration under the guise of reducing pollution. Clean air finance should prioritise interventions that prevent pollution at its source—such as waste separation, composting, recycling, organic waste recovery, material recovery facilities, and the integration of informal waste workers into modern waste management systems.  

These approaches do more than reduce emissions. They create jobs, improve public health, reduce methane emissions, strengthen local economies, and advance the transition toward circular economies. They address multiple environmental challenges simultaneously rather than shifting pollution from land to air.  

I hope this forum continues to inspire strong leadership—not only in acknowledging the scale of Africa’s air pollution crisis, but also in choosing solutions grounded in science, public health, and environmental justice, especially in the waste management sector.

My desire for Africa is that we do not confuse costly technologies with meaningful progress. That we resist the temptation to fund projects simply because they seem modern or innovative. That communities most affected by pollution are put at the centre of decision-making. And that Africa has the courage to reject false solutions, even when they are proposed as shortcuts to municipal waste management. 

The discussions at this year’s Clean Air Forum will not ultimately measure the forum’s success. It will be measured by the policies adopted, the investments made, and the quality of the air that millions of Africans breathe long after the conference has ended. 

ENDS.

The post Investing in clean air should also mean rejecting false solutions to the waste management crisis first appeared on GAIA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2026

Berkeley, CA — Thirty-one environmental organizations, including GAIA (the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives), are calling on environmental agencies in seven US states to ensure strong safeguards for plastic recycling and disposal facilities. On Tuesday, July 14, the organizations submitted a joint letter urging regulators not to surrender oversight of those facilities by adopting the “Responsible Markets (REM) Standard,” which weakens existing state and federal protections for community health, worker safety, and the environment. 

The groups also raised concerns around a lack of adequate public consultation on the draft standard, proposed by the Producer Responsibility Organization for packaging Extended Producer Responsibility schemes in California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. 

Press contact:

María Guillén, Communications & Network Development Manager, U.S. & Canada

mariaguillen@no-burn.org

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The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) is a member-based, environmental justice network working at the intersection of waste, climate, and justice. In the United States and Canada, GAIA supports grassroots organizations that advance zero waste solutions, challenge the plastics and petrochemical industries, reduce methane emissions, and promote safe, sustainable practices for electric vehicle battery production and recycling.

.stk-hb1ya7z {height:78px !important;} REM standard – joint letter 2026Download

The post 31 Environmental Organizations Call on Regulators in 7 States to Protect Oversight of Plastic Recycling Facilities first appeared on GAIA.

Accra, Ghana – The City of Accra has officially unveiled its LOW-Methane Portfolio, a landmark roadmap that sets out bold actions to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector while advancing climate resilience, public health, job creation, and the city’s  transition toward a zero waste future.

The portfolio outlines Accra’s commitment to reducing methane emissions from waste disposal by at least 30% by 2030, in line with Ghana’s commitment under the Global Methane Pledge and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The initiative supports Ghana’s national target of reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂e) emissions by 21,313 kilotonnes (ktCO₂e) by 2030 through sustainable urban solid waste management solutions.

Developed with technical support from the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), and C40 Cities, Accra’s LOW-Methane Portfolio provides a practical framework for transforming how waste is managed across the city. It places focus on source separation of organic waste and diversion of organic waste, while centering the role of waste pickers and community groups in reducing waste methane.

“Accra’s LOW-Methane Portfolio is proof that when local governments, national, regional, and global organisations pull in the same direction, climate targets can become real action on the ground. The opportunity to cut waste methane at the local level is enormous, and Accra is showing that cities across Africa are ready to move when communities, governments, and partners co-create practical, locally rooted zero waste solutions,”  Desmond Alugnoa, GAIA Africa, Zero Waste & Climate Program Manager. 

Accra’s LOW-Methane Portfolio is built around three strategic goals that together map a clear pathway to a LOW-Methane, zero waste city. 

• First, Accra aims to achieve at least 50% source-separated organic waste collection by 2030 by establishing and enforcing citywide collection systems. 
• Second, the city will build a decentralised organic waste management system capable of diverting at least 30% of organic waste by 2040.
• Third, Accra will invest in people and data by launching comprehensive public education campaigns on the climate and health consequences of food waste and methane pollution, while tracking progress against the Global Methane Pledge and Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

“We envision an Accra where climate action is more than a policy commitment; it is a promise to our people, our children, and the generations who will inherit this city. We are demonstrating that when communities, institutions, and young people work together, Accra can become a beacon of climate leadership for Ghana, Africa, and the world,” Victor N. Kotey, Deputy Head of Waste Management, Accra Metropolitan Assembly. 

Together, the Accra Portfolio goals are projected to generate 13,500 tonnes of annual methane reduction by 2040, while creating local jobs, improving air quality, strengthening food systems through compost production, and building energy resilience through biogas utilisation.

For GAYO, the Accra LOW-Methane portfolio calls for partnership and investment for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable Accra.

“The next phase must focus on scaling decentralized, community-based zero waste systems rooted in local realities, supported by strong city leadership, and sustained through meaningful partnerships and investment,’’ explains Jacob Johnson Attakpah, Zero Waste Director, GAYO.

He added, “At the core of this transition is recognizing waste pickers as essential actors in implementation. Their knowledge, labour, and leadership must be fully integrated into how Accra reduces organic waste from landfill, strengthens resource recovery, and delivers measurable methane reductions  that advance Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).’’ 

The city of Accra was recently  recognized among the United Nations 20 cities moving towards zero waste. The LOW-Methane Portfolio lays the foundation for future collaboration with development partners, investors, philanthropic organizations, civil society, and the private sector to scale up zero waste as a just climate solution for the city. The launch of this portfolio marks a significant milestone in Accra’s climate journey and further positions the city as a climate action leader in Africa.

ENDS. 

ABOUT GAIA 

GAIA is a global network of grassroots groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and individuals, in over 90 countries. The organisation envisions a just, zero-waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped. GAIA works to catalyse a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. www.no-burn.org 

For more information, please contact:

GAIA Africa: Ibrahim Khalilulahi Usman – khalil@no-burn.org 

The post [Media Release] Accra Launches Ambitious LOW-Methane Portfolio to Accelerate Climate Action, Advance Zero Waste, and Build Cleaner Communities first appeared on GAIA.

Celebrating this Year’s Plastic Free July

In the more than ten years since Plastic Free July began, the global movement to reduce plastic pollution has grown into one of the world’s largest environmental campaigns. Every July, millions of people, organizations, businesses, and communities take action to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics while promoting more sustainable, zero waste alternatives.

At GAIA, Plastic Free July is an opportunity to highlight the urgent need to reduce plastic production, expand community-led zero waste solutions, and advocate for policies that protect both people and the planet. Together, we can stop plastic pollution while strengthening local economies, protecting public health, and building resilient communities worldwide.

Learn more about our plastics work

Why Plastic Pollution Is a Global Environmental and Health Crisis

The science is clear: plastic overproduction is causing a worldwide environmental and public health crisis. Plastic pollutes at each stage of its existence, from fossil fuel extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal in dumps, incinerators, or the open environment.  Microplastics are found contaminating our food, drinking water, and even our bodies, and plastic contains thousands of chemicals, some of which are known to be toxic to humans. Single-use plastic is used for seconds before thrown away, where it will remain forever as trash, or burned in an incinerator– turning it into air pollution and toxic ash or sludge, threatening the health of communities nearby. Much of this waste is also shipped from higher income countries to areas of the Global South who then have to deal with the toxic burden of other people’s pollution, called “waste colonialism.” 

Plastic pollution affects every ecosystem on Earth. From oceans and rivers to agricultural soils and urban communities, plastic waste threatens biodiversity, contaminates food systems, and disproportionately impacts communities already facing environmental injustice. Reducing plastic production is one of the most effective ways to address the problem at its source.

How Plastic Production Contributes to Climate Change

Not only is plastic a threat to our health and environment but plastic is also a significant concern for our climate. More than 99% of plastics are made of fossil fuels, and if plastic’s life cycle were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, and unless the world takes action, primary plastic production will consume 21-31% of the global carbon budget by 2050. 

Reducing plastic production is not only a waste issue—it is also a climate solution. Every stage of the plastic life cycle generates greenhouse gas emissions, making plastic reduction an essential strategy for meeting global climate goals and protecting future generations.

Learn more about our climate work

The Plastics Treaty: A Battle for Production Reduction

Thanks to the advocacy of Indigenous Peoples and civil society organizations worldwide, in 2021 the United Nations began a process to develop a plastics treaty that addresses pollution at each stage of its life cycle, from extraction to disposal. GAIA members and other civil society leaders have been at each round of negotiations demanding a strong treaty that cuts plastic production. The process has been far from ideal: hundreds of Industry lobbyists are present, and petrochemical producing countries have worked to water down the treaty and stall negotiations. However, a large group of countries, particularly in Africa and other parts of the world most impacted and least responsible for the crisis, have not backed down on such topics as human health, a strong financial mechanism, and of course, reducing plastic production. As negotiations continue, GAIA remains committed to supporting ambitious governments and civil society organizations working toward a legally binding plastics treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics—from extraction to disposal—and prioritizes human health, environmental justice, and meaningful reductions in plastic production.

Check out our plastics treaty campaign page!

How GAIA and Communities Are Advancing Zero Waste Solutions

The zero waste solutions to the plastic crisis put forward by GAIA members around the world are gaining momentum: there is now even a United Nations Day of Zero Waste, and more and more countries are recognizing zero waste as a key climate solution. GAIA members are working with their cities to develop community-led zero waste systems that phase out plastic use while strengthening local economies, some of which were recognized by the United Nations in their list 20 Cities Towards Zero Waste this year. To date over 500 cities have committed to zero waste, and over 122 million people are living in a zero waste city. Our Zero Waste Academies have brought together over 500 participants from around the world to learn about how to develop and strengthen their zero waste projects. 

These community-led initiatives demonstrate that zero waste systems are not only possible—they are already delivering measurable environmental, economic, and public health benefits. By investing in waste prevention, reuse, composting and recycling instead of disposal, communities can reduce plastic pollution while creating local jobs and strengthening climate resilience.

Learn more about our zero waste work

Take the Plastic Free July Challenge

To get to a world free from plastic pollution, it’ll take both individual and collective action. Join us in the Plastic Free July challenge! Here are some actions you can take locally and in your daily life to reduce your plastic footprint:

• Bring your own bag to go shopping
• Ask for reusable foodware at your local establishments
• Bring a reusable bottle with you to stay hydrated and go waste-free
• Support local zero waste businesses 
• Choose products with minimal or refillable packaging whenever possible.
• Support policies and businesses that prioritize reuse over single-use plastics.

How You Can Help Reduce Plastic Pollution

Ending plastic pollution requires both individual action and systemic change. Whether you support local zero waste initiatives, advocate for stronger policies, or become part of GAIA’s global network, every action contributes to a healthier and more just future.

• Donate. Your donation supports GAIA and incredible grassroots leaders fighting pollution, building movements, and transforming transforming cities into places centered on community power, worker rights, racial justice, gender equity, sustainability, and resilience. 
• Find a GAIA member in your region. GAIA has members in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, the U.S. and Canada, and Africa. 
• Already with an organization? Become a GAIA member! You will join an alliance of over 1,000 groups in over 100 countries, and gain access to materials that support local campaigning, regional and cross-regional power-building, and support from regional GAIA staff. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Plastic Free July What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages people to reduce their use of single-use plastics and adopt more sustainable habits throughout July and beyond.

Why is plastic pollution harmful?

Plastic pollution contaminates ecosystems, threatens wildlife, contributes to climate change, and exposes people to microplastics and harmful chemicals throughout the plastic life cycle.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that have been found in oceans, rivers, soil, drinking water, food, and even the human body. They are created as larger plastic items break down over time.

How does plastic contribute to climate change?

More than 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas emissions occur during extraction, production, transportation, use, and disposal, making plastic pollution closely linked to the climate crisis.

What is the Plastics Treaty?

The plastics treaty is an international effort led through the United Nations to create legally binding measures that address plastic pollution across the entire plastic life cycle.

What is zero waste?

According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, zero waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health. Zero waste is both a goal and a plan of action to achieve it. 

Plastic Free July reminds us that ending plastic pollution requires both everyday actions and ambitious regional and international policies. Communities around the world are already proving that zero waste systems, reduced plastic production, and environmental justice go hand in hand.

By supporting local solutions, advocating for a strong plastics treaty, and choosing to reduce plastic waste in our daily lives, we can help create healthier communities and a more sustainable future.

Join GAIA in building a world beyond plastic pollution—not just in July, but every day of the year.

The post Plastic Free July: How to Reduce Plastic Pollution with Zero Waste Solutions first appeared on GAIA.