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The document examines how four countries—Germany, the UK, Japan, and Australia—successfully reduced waste sector methane emissions through a combination of legislation, market-based tools, public education, and voluntary agreements. It highlights a general trend of diverting waste from landfills toward recycling, composting, and incineration, while noting that high-income countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania have seen the most significant progress.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the EU ETS1 fails to drive industrial decarbonisation due to the continued allocation of free emission allowances, which it claims undermines the carbon price signal for sectors like steel, cement, and chemicals. The submission calls for the complete phase-out of free allocations and indirect cost compensation, suggesting that any remaining benefits be tied to decarbonisation milestones. It further advocates for expanding the ETS scope to cover all departing flights from 2027, including non-CO2 effects and flights to third countries, and extending maritime coverage to 100% of extra-EEA routes and all small ships by 2027. Regarding market stability, the document suggests maintaining existing Market Stability Reserve (MSR) and Linear Reduction Factor (LRF) rules until 2035 to preserve investment signals. Finally, it strongly opposes the integration of carbon removals into the EU ETS to avoid mitigation deterrence and the risk of using removals as a substitute for actual emission reductions.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the EU Modernisation Fund for continuing to finance fossil gas, waste incineration, and biomass projects, noting that at least EUR 4.2 billion (27% of spending) has gone to investments not aligned with the fund's aims. The organization calls for more ambitious emissions avoidance benchmarks and a shift in funding toward grid improvements, renewables, building renovation, and public transport electrification to support lower-income member states ahead of the 2027 ETS2 implementation.

The report analyzes the impact of a massive fire at the Doral incinerator, which burned from February 12 to March 2, 2023. It finds that air quality frequently reached unhealthy or hazardous levels for particulate matter (PM2.5) and exceeded action levels for chlorine, VOCs, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide, contradicting early official claims. Water testing in onsite retention ponds showed exceedances of sanitary sewer and groundwater standards for copper, lead, zinc, sulfates, and boron. The document also details the emergency demolition of asbestos-containing structures and a history of five fires at the facility in recent years, using these findings to advocate for a transition to a Zero Waste system in Miami-Dade County.

The report details a massive fire at the Doral waste incinerator that occurred from February 12 to March 2, 2023, causing significant air and water pollution. Despite initial official claims that air quality was not concerning, monitoring data showed levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and other toxins that were unhealthy or dangerous for residents. The document also highlights water contamination in on-site retention ponds, the presence of asbestos in demolished structures, and a history of previous fires and regulatory violations at the facility. It concludes by advocating for a transition to a 'Zero Waste' model to protect marginalized communities.

The plastics industry contributes 3.4 percent of global carbon pollution, driven by a reliance on fossil fuels for production. Decarbonization requires improved carbon accounting, increased renewable energy use, and a transition toward a circular economy to reduce emissions from both production and end-of-life disposal.

The report exposes how the used-clothing trade is used by the Global North to export plastic waste to Kenya. It estimates that over 300 million items of synthetic, unsellable clothing are exported to Kenya annually, leading to severe environmental pollution in the Nairobi River and at dumpsites like Dandora. The investigation highlights the failure of sorting at the source and the role of recycling companies that claim circularity while exporting waste. It recommends the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, eco-design requirements, and a virgin plastic tax to curb overproduction and the export of synthetic waste.

A coalition of environmental justice advocates, including Earthjustice and the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, submitted comments on the New Jersey DEP's proposed Environmental Justice (EJ) rules. The coalition argues for a narrow interpretation of the 'compelling public interest' exception, specifically opposing the use of economic benefits or job creation as justifications for permitting new polluting facilities in overburdened communities. They recommend expanding public notification radii to five kilometers, refining the definitions of 'new facility' and 'incinerator' to include technologies like pyrolysis and gasification, and adopting more sensitive air quality metrics based on WHO guidelines rather than EPA NAAQS. The document also emphasizes that race is the strongest predictor of pollution burden in New Jersey, citing historical redlining and systemic failures in DEP's permitting and enforcement processes as drivers of environmental racism.

The document outlines the legal risks associated with plastic waste management, specifically focusing on incineration, recycling claims, and the illegal trade of plastic waste. It highlights how companies are increasingly exposed to litigation due to the environmental and health impacts of incineration, the perceived failure of recycling to solve the plastics crisis, and breaches of international waste shipment treaties like the Basel Convention.

The document is a formal complaint alleging that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) discriminates against people of color, persons with limited English proficiency (LEP), women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The core of the complaint focuses on the DEP's permitting of waste incinerators—which are disproportionately located in marginalized communities—and the agency's failure to provide Spanish-language interpretation and accessible meeting formats during the permit renewal process for the Miami-Dade County Resources Recovery Facility in Doral.

The report argues that while the Global Methane Pledge aims for a 30% reduction by 2030, a 40–45% reduction is necessary to meet the 1.5°C target. It details sector-specific interventions: shifting to plant-rich diets and improving livestock management in agriculture; phasing out fossil fuels and implementing leak detection in energy; and prioritizing organic waste prevention and composting in the waste sector. It further advocates for a global governance framework based on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), national action plans, and financial assistance for developing countries.

The document outlines eleven specific recommendations to strengthen the EU ETS, arguing that the European Commission's proposal lacks sufficient ambition and fails to properly implement the 'polluter pays' principle. Key demands include increasing the 2030 emission reduction target to 70% for ETS sectors, phasing out free emission allowances for energy-intensive industries, and expanding the system's scope to include waste incineration and all international shipping voyages. It also suggests strengthening the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) to prevent price crashes and calls for stricter criteria for the use of ETS revenues to ensure they support climate action. Additionally, the guide provides a communication framework based on urgency, risk, and fairness, alongside a directory of key policymakers in the European Commission and Parliament.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the European Commission's proposal to update the EU ETS is insufficient, specifically citing an inadequate emission reduction target and the failure to implement the polluter pays principle through continued free allowances. The organization advocates for a 70% emission reduction target by 2030, a more aggressive Market Stability Reserve (MSR) intake rate of 36%, and the immediate phase-out of free emission allowances. Further recommendations include expanding the ETS to cover all international shipping voyages and waste incineration, excluding Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) due to potential loopholes, and deleting Article 26 of the ETS Directive to allow binding greenhouse gas limits in industrial permits.

The document asserts that plastic is fundamentally carbon and cannot be part of a climate solution, as its production and incineration are projected to consume up to 13% of the global carbon budget for a 1.5°C limit. It systematically refutes five industry claims regarding emissions-free production, carbon-free fuel, carbon sinks, offset schemes, and bioplastics, concluding that these narratives divert policymakers from the necessary goal of reducing plastic production.

The author contends that the European Commission's proposal to exempt CCU from the EU carbon market is flawed because it defines 'permanent storage' too narrowly, ignoring the end-of-life release of carbon from products like plastics and the emissions generated during the CCU production process.

The text highlights the human costs of plastic pollution, noting that production and incineration facilities are often sited in marginalized communities without adequate consultation. It links plastic production to respiratory and immune system health issues and climate change, while calling for extended producer responsibility and federal legislation to protect vulnerable populations.

Carbon Market Watch recommends strengthening the EU ETS by increasing the Linear Reduction Factor to 5.8% (or 3.1% with a cap reduction), raising the Market Stability Reserve intake rate to 36%, and ending free allowances for aviation and energy-intensive industries. The organization advocates for the inclusion of international maritime transport and waste incineration, while opposing the inclusion of road transport, buildings, and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits.

The document provides a guide for businesses in South Africa to evaluate waste-to-energy (WtE) options, categorising technologies into anaerobic digestion, thermal processes, and biofuels. It outlines the regulatory landscape, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act and NERSA regulations, and highlights upcoming policy shifts such as organic waste landfill bans in the Western Cape. The brief emphasizes a structured project development process—from scoping and pre-feasibility to execution—to ensure financial and technical viability.

The report evaluates the climate and air quality impacts of residual waste treatment in the UK, comparing landfill and incineration across different scenarios. It finds that while incineration may currently appear more favorable due to energy credits, its relative performance is expected to decline by 2035 as the electricity grid decarbonises and waste composition changes. The study emphasizes that pre-treatment is essential for both technologies to align with net-zero targets and notes that incineration has a more significant negative impact on local air quality than landfill.

The Changing Markets Foundation warns that global plastic production is set to double by 2030 and could account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The organization argues that industry lobbying is undermining the EU's Single-Use Plastic Directive through attempts to exempt bio-based plastics, viscose, and cellophane, and by jeopardizing deposit return systems. The letter calls for legislative measures to end overpackaging, prevent greenwashing, and reject 'false solutions' like chemical recycling and incineration in favor of reuse and mechanical recycling.