Dioxin Facts - Dioxin Sources - Achieving Zero Dioxin - Dioxin Elimination Report - Health & Environmental Effects - What are POPs? - POPs Sources - Eliminating POPs

It is not good enough to simply try to manage these chemicals once they are produced - that approach has failed time and again. We must aim to prevent them from being produced in the first place. The following principles must apply :

Precautionary Principle

We should take preventative action when there is reason to believe that harm is likely to be caused by human activity. Action should be taken even where there is no conclusive evidence to prove a causal relationship between the actions and their effects.

Elimination of all POPs sources

POPs elimination is an iterative two-step process - source identification, followed by source elimination. First, the source of POPs must be properly identified. Second, they must therefore be phased out, replaced or otherwise removed. This is true for POPs that are produced intentionally as well as unintentionally, such as dioxins.

No to Incineration

Incineration must not become a disposal route for existing POPs stockpiles since incineration itself has been identified as a major source of dioxins and furans. While so-called state of the art incinerators can greatly reduce stack emissions, they still cannot stop the formation of dioxins and other POPs which may be present in the fly ash and bottom ash that would still require further treatment and disposal. Alternative destruction and de-toxification methods and technologies, which do not generate POPs, should be used instead. In recognition of the dangers associated with incineration, countries like Australia are venturing into non-incineration destruction technologies. Recently, the Philippines and Costa Rica both banned incineration as a disposal method for municipal, medical and hazardous wastes.

Technological and other resource assistance

It is critical that wealthy nations do not promote and export POP-generating technologies and materials to newly industrialised nations. At the same time wealthy countries and aid programs must assist newly industrialised countries in developing and implementing non-POP technologies and materials.