Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)

4 de febrero, 2026

Con una apuesta por la educación como motor de transformación social y ambiental, se desarrolló en Nicaragua un proceso académico de formación en educación ambiental, que culminó con la realización del Primer seminario de educación ambiental y formación docente.

Impulsado por la Universidad Técnica de Comercio, el Centro de Investigación, Capacitación y Formación Ambiental, junto a los miembros de GAIA y Break Free From Plastic, Basura Cero Nicaragua, el proceso incluyó jornadas de formación, un ciclo de seminarios web y espacios de intercambio que permitieron fortalecer capacidades pedagógicas y metodológicas. Como resultado, nueve docentes completaron la certificación y más de 48 personas participaron activamente en las instancias virtuales previas, consolidando una comunidad educativa comprometida con el enfoque basura cero.

Para Karla Escoto, de Basura Cero Nicaragua, este camino respondió a una necesidad urgente. “En Nicaragua, el docente no suele ser considerado protagonista de la educación ambiental”, explica. Sin embargo, la experiencia acumulada en jornadas de trabajo con profesionales de la educación, sumada al involucramiento voluntario de jóvenes que ya desarrollaban acciones en colegios como reciclajes comunitarios, charlas y limpiezas de costa, evidenció que existía una base sólida sobre la cual avanzar.

Ese diagnóstico llevó a  Basura Cero Nicaragua a reflexionar sobre la importancia de incorporar durante 2025 un proceso formativo estructurado. “No se trataba solo de sensibilizar, sino de generar herramientas reales para que docentes y líderes juveniles adolescentes lideraran procesos en sus comunidades, usando los centros educativos como base de acción”, señala Karla. 

Por otro lado, uno de los momentos más significativos del proceso fue tener la oportunidad de contar con espacios de intercambio regional y escuchar las experiencias que compartieron Alicia Franco, de la Alianza Basura Cero Ecuador, Julia Elena Picado, de la Asociación Defensores del Monumento Natural Zona de los Santos, Costa Rica, y Aliz García, de Bioética, Honduras. “Hablar de basura cero en las escuelas exige partir de la experiencia vivida y sistematizada. Eso fue clave en el intercambio regional”, destaca Escoto.

Más allá del intercambio conceptual, el seminario también puso énfasis en el trabajo práctico. Las y los docentes desarrollaron herramientas que pueden aplicarse de inmediato en sus centros educativos como actividades lúdicas vinculadas al buen vivir libre de tóxicos, matrices de planificación, propuestas extracurriculares para reducir plásticos de un solo uso y orientaciones para avanzar hacia colegios basura cero.

Profesora Amalia Angulo Bonilla, Colegio Enrique de Ossó, participante de la formación docente.

Este enfoque, explica Escoto, permite evaluar aprendizajes fuera del aula, identificar liderazgos juveniles y fortalecer el vínculo entre escuelas y comunidades, alineándose además con los ejes de la política educativa nacional. “Las actividades prácticas ayudan a que los y las jóvenes se conecten con experiencias reales y se alejen de dinámicas que afectan especialmente a la adolescencia”, agrega.

Más sobre Basura Cero Nicaragua:

• Basura Cero Nicaragua en redes sociales: Instagram / Facebook / TikTok
• Basura Cero Nicaragua: Producción agroecológica en patios por mujeres rurales

The post Basura Cero Nicaragua fortalece la educación ambiental con su primer seminario de educación ambiental y formación docente first appeared on GAIA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2026

Berkeley, CA — In response to ongoing violence, deaths, and repression caused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) issued the following statement:

GAIA stands in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis and with communities across the country that are resisting these violent occupations and repressive tactics. What we are witnessing is not public safety, it is state violence. The people of Minneapolis and other communities are standing up to protect their neighbors, resisting repression, and protesting against this authoritarian federal government.

The right to speak out and protest is fundamental to a functioning democracy and a critical tool for communities defending their safety, health, land, and futures. GAIA and our members rely on this right every day to challenge environmental injustice, corporate impunity, and policies that sacrifice frontline communities while undermining the right to a clean and healthy environment for all. The current U.S. administration is deploying federal agencies implementing militarized enforcement tactics to suppress both protest and community-led resistance, intimidate and criminalize those documenting abuses, and silence those who speak out against injustice.

Since the start of this year, at least nine deaths have been reported in connection with ICE custody or enforcement actions. We mourn the deaths of Keith Porter, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, Luis Beltran Yanez–Cruz, Victor Manuel Diaz, Parady La, Heber Sanchez Dominguez, Renee Nicole Good, and Alex Pretti, whose killings reveal a pattern of escalating state violence, systemic failures, and blatant disregard for human life.

We are seeing in real time the lawlessness of this agency, exemplified in the mounting reports of abuse and neglect of detainees, which include children. This is the same administration that rolled back the Flores protections and continues to challenge legal safeguards for detained minors, allowing ICE to hold children in unsafe and inhumane conditions for longer periods.

GAIA demands immediate accountability from DHS, ICE, and CBP for all deaths, abuses, and violations committed under their authority. We call for an end to violent enforcement practices, the protection of the right to protest, and policies rooted in care, dignity, and community power.

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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.

Press contacts:

María Guillén, Communications & Network Development Manager

mariaguillen@no-burn.org

The post GAIA Denounces the Ongoing Violence and Deaths at the Hands of ICE and CBP first appeared on GAIA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2026

Berkeley, CA — In the wake of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to stop accounting for the economic value of health benefits, including lives saved, when setting air pollution standards, Denaya Shorter, Senior Director of the U.S. & Canada Region at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), issued the following statement:

“As a global network of environmental justice organizations, GAIA rejects the idea that human life should be reduced to an economic calculation in the first place. But if economic frameworks are being used, no polluting facility, plastics plant, incinerator, or corporate balance sheet should ever be valued above people’s lives or their right to a clean environment.

By effectively valuing human life at zero, this administration is prioritizing industry profits over public health, dismantling long-standing safeguards, and rewriting the rules to shield polluters from accountability. This decision exacerbates inequity and disproportionately impacts the most marginalized members of our society, often low-income and communities of color, and it will cost the US more than just dollars — it will cost lives.

We have seen this industry-driven “cost-first” narrative before. It has been used to weaken environmental protections and justify toxic plastics, waste incineration, and environmental racism across the globe. When industry costs are put above human lives, the result is not balanced policymaking but a system that treats frontline communities as expendable and disregards decades of established science.

At GAIA, we remain bold, determined, and unwavering in our mission to strengthen grassroots movements toward a just, zero waste world rooted in respect for ecological limits and community rights, and where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution. Our voices and resolve are stronger than their power.”

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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.

Press contacts:

María Guillén, Communications & Network Development Manager

mariaguillen@no-burn.org

The post GAIA Condemns EPA Decision to Prioritize Industry Profits Over Human Life first appeared on GAIA.

Environmental leaders, community advocates, and policy experts from across the Asia Pacific convened on January 22 for Fire or Ice: Growth of Bioplastics in the Asia Pacific, an online discussion examining regulatory, policy, and investment trends driving the expansion of bioplastics and their implications for communities, climate, and human health.

Panelists warned that the unchecked growth of bioplastics risks repeating the environmental and social harms of conventional plastics, particularly when promoted as a quick fix rather than part of a broader system change.

Arpita Bhagat, Plastic Policy Officer at GAIA Asia Pacific and moderator of the panel, stressed the need to move beyond material substitution. “Bioplastics are often framed as sustainable by default, whereas the material combinations keep evolving without minimum design standards or safe safeguards. Without chemical transparency, strong regulations, and a clear focus on the reduction of single-use material, they are another false narrative that wastes precious resources and delays real action. Therefore, our governments must reevaluate their policy incentives for bioplastics promotion,” she said.

Participants examined the scale of bioplastics production in the region, noting that Asia has already become the largest producer and exporter. Panelists cautioned that this rapid growth is being driven more by market incentives than by environmental safeguards.

Pichmol Rugrod, Plastic-Free Future Project Lead of Greenpeace Thailand, highlighted how national policies can unintentionally reinforce harmful narratives. “Thailand is promoting itself as a biodegradable hub through investment incentives and policy frameworks like the bio-circular-green economy. But this does not address plastic pollution at its root. Plastic packaging, even when labeled biodegradable, does not truly biodegrade in real-world conditions and therefore is not the real solution. Reuse and refill systems are,” she said. 

The discussion also centered on Indigenous and frontline community perspectives. Rufino Varea, Director of the Pacific Indigenous Climate Action Network (PICAN) in Fiji, said, “Bioplastics are a regrettable solution that only creates a false sense of security about addressing the plastic crisis. They do not fit our Global South realities. We already face disproportionate waste burdens threatening our ecosystems, affecting marine food webs, and causing toxicity to our waters. Our Indigenous knowledge systems have the heritage of organic materials that are inherently circular, regenerative, and in harmony with the  economy.”

Chemical safety and environmental health risks were raised as major concerns. Jam Lorenzo, Deputy Executive Director of BAN Toxics, emphasized that bioplastics are not inherently safer. “Studies show that more than half of tested bioplastics contain toxic chemicals similar to those found in conventional plastics, including substances like lead and cadmium when production is poorly regulated,” he said. “Our position is simple. No data, no market.”

Experts also flagged agricultural and food safety impacts. Mageswari Sangaralingam, Chief Executive of the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in Malaysia, pointed to growing evidence of harm to soils and crops. “Bioplastics are marketed as eco-friendly, but they fragment, break down into microplastics, and release chemical additives that contaminate soil and enter food systems. A 2025 study by Jing Liu found that starch-based plastic is potentially as toxic as petroleum-based plastic. We must put a blanket ban on using bioplastics for mulching films,” she said.

Doun Moon, Policy and Research Officer of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), cautioned against assuming bioplastics are a climate solution. “Switching from petroleum-based plastics to bioplastics does not automatically cut emissions, as there is a large amount of GHG emissions associated with land use, material production, and end-of-life treatments,” she said. She cited South Korea’s experience, where the bioplastics industry is growing slowly despite the government’s encouragement and attempts to pass a promotional bill. 

Legal and regulatory gaps were also highlighted. Madhuvanthi Rajkumar, an independent consultant working at the intersection of law, public policy, and rights-based advocacy from India, mentioned, “While we are seeing unprecedented policy momentum (in India and Asia) in favour of bioplastics, the primary risk is substituting one set of problems for another while believing we’ve solved the crisis. Bioplastics come with the same array of negative environmental, social, and health impacts as conventional fossil-fuel-based plastics, in some ways even worse, while giving a false sense of sustainability that increases consumption and waste generation. It’s not even old wine in a new bottle; It’s old wine in an old bottle but with a “green” label!”

The panel concluded with a shared call for action. Speakers emphasized that the Global Plastics Treaty must prioritize binding measures on plastic production reduction, toxic chemicals, and real reuse-based systems, rather than legitimizing alternative single-use materials. The focus must remain on reuse and refill systems rather than new single-use materials.

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Watch the recording here.

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Press contacts:

Asia Pacific: Robi Kate Miranda, Communications Officer for Campaigns, robi@no-burn.org  

GAIAis a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision 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.

The post Asia Pacific Experts Urge Caution on Bioplastics at Regional Panel Discussion first appeared on GAIA.

En el Mes Internacional Basura Cero, Fundación Basura comparte las soluciones que están implementando en ferias, escuelas, municipios y espacios públicos como alternativas concretas al modelo de “usar y botar”. Desde la prevención del desperdicio de alimentos hasta la educación ambiental y gestión de residuos en eventos deportivos, el trabajo de la organización demuestra que avanzar hacia modelos basura cero es posible, y se puede adaptar a distintos contextos.

Recolección de residuos orgánicos junto a recicladores de base en feria libre de Santiago. Fundación Basura, 2025. Recolección de donaciones de feriantes en feria libre de Santiago. Fundación Basura, 2025.

Uno de los ejemplos más representativos es el modelo Ferias Libres Cero Desperdicio, implementado desde 2021, que ya cuenta con 35 intervenciones en ferias libres de Santiago y Valparaíso, y que ha logrado que frutas y verduras que antes terminaban en un basurero se redistribuyan a organizaciones comunitarias o se valoricen a través del compostaje o la alimentación animal. Además, gracias a este programa, se han gestionado más de 30 toneladas de residuos orgánicos,  evitando la emisión de 18 toneladas de CO₂ y 3 toneladas de CH₄. 

En 2025, se dio un paso fundamental para el éxito de los modelos basura cero, la incorporación de recicladores y recicladoras de base como parte central del sistema. Su participación no solo fortaleció la recolección y clasificación de residuos, sino que también aportó reconocimiento a su trabajo. En solo dos jornadas piloto, se recuperaron más de 3.300 kilos de residuos, de los cuales 217 kg de alimentos se destinaron a una olla común que beneficia a 180 personas semanalmente, mientras que el resto fue valorizado mediante compostaje municipal. Según la Fundación, resultados como estos demuestran que las ferias libres son espacios estratégicos para soluciones con impacto ambiental y social.

La prevención de desperdicio de alimentos también llegó a los hogares. A través de los talleres Sabores sin Desperdicio, mujeres jefas de hogar, lideresas comunitarias y emprendedoras aprendieron a aprovechar partes de frutas y verduras que normalmente se descartan. Cáscaras, tallos y hojas se convirtieron en platos nutritivos, reduciendo residuos y fortaleciendo la autonomía alimentaria.

Taller en Peñalolén. Fundación Basura, 2025. Mermelada de cáscaras de sandía. Fundación Basura, 2025. Taller en Santiago. Fundación Basura, 2025.

Asimismo, el programa Conexión Puma combina actividades educativas en escuelas con gestión de residuos en eventos deportivos. En el área educativa, se le enseña a niñas y niños sobre reciclaje y cuidado del medio ambiente mediante una obra de teatro y el libro didáctico “Juguemos el partido del planeta”. A la vez, en el Estadio Monumental se implementan puntos verdes para la correcta segregación de residuos generados durante los partidos de fútbol, promoviendo prácticas responsables a los hinchas.

Niñas en San San Pedro de la Paz beneficiarias de libro “Juguemos el partido del planeta”. Punto Verde en estadio Monumental David Arellano en Gestión de Residuos. Equipo Fundación Basura segregando latas en punto de acopio en Gestión de residuos en estadio Monumental David Arellano.

De cara a los próximos años, Fundación Basura trabaja para ampliar el alcance de estos modelos y compartir herramientas que permitan replicarlos en más ciudades. La experiencia acumulada demuestra que las iniciativas basura cero impulsan transformaciones ambientales y sociales.

Más sobre Fundación Basura:

• El propósito de Fundación Basura es Combatir la crisis climática a través de los residuos para proteger la salud planetaria mediante la Educación, Asesorías e Incidencia Política.
• Sitio web: fundacionbasura.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/fundacionbasura
• Recomendamos: Reducción de las emisiones de metano mediante sistemas de desperdicio cero de alimentos / Cutting Methane Emissions through Zero Food Waste Systems

The post Desde ferias libres hasta estadios: cómo Fundación Basura impulsa soluciones basura cero en Chile first appeared on GAIA.

La Academia Basura Cero Chile reunió a participantes de distintas regiones del país con el objetivo de fortalecer capacidades para implementar programas basura cero a nivel local. La formación estuvo dirigida a implementadores de proyectos, equipos municipales y personas con roles de decisión comprometidas con un cambio ambiental y social en Chile.

La academia fue ejecutada por la Alianza Basura Cero Chile, con una metodología propuesta por la Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), y se desarrolló en seis sesiones en línea, con un promedio de tres expositores por jornada, y culminó con un encuentro presencial en Melipeuco, donde las y los participantes presentaron sus proyectos finales y conocieron experiencias concretas de implementación de basura cero en el territorio.

En total, 20 personas fueron certificadas, consolidando una red nacional preparada para impulsar, replicar y fortalecer iniciativas basura cero en Chile.

The post Academia Basura Cero Chile 2025: fortaleciendo capacidades para transformar la gestión de residuos first appeared on GAIA.