Mapo-gu Hosts International Forum Against Waste Incineration with GAIA

Global Resource Circulation Activist Professor Paul Connett Emphasizes Risks of Waste Incineration
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Participates as Panelist to Discuss with Global Environmental Activists

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) will hold an international forum against waste incineration in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) on November 5th from 2 PM to 6 PM at the 12th-floor auditorium of Mapo-gu Office.

The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) is a network of over 1,000 organizations across 92 countries worldwide addressing waste and environmental issues, actively supporting zero waste policies in various countries.

This forum was planned to discuss waste incineration policy issues from an international perspective, focusing on the case of the additional incinerator construction in Mapo, and to communicate the environmental and health impacts of waste incineration to residents.

Currently, in South Korea, direct landfill at the metropolitan landfill site will be banned starting January 1, 2026. However, among the 28 incinerators being constructed or expanded in the metropolitan area, none are expected to be completed by that date. Conflicts continue as local residents oppose the projects and social consensus has not been reached.

In contrast, major cities in Europe and elsewhere treat ‘zero waste’?which fundamentally prevents waste generation rather than relying on landfill or incineration?as a key agenda in urban planning.

Accordingly, Mapo-gu plans to analyze waste-to-energy (WTE) policies adopted by major countries, focusing on overseas cases, to demonstrate that building additional incinerators is not a fundamental solution to waste management and to seek new alternatives.

The forum will include Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu; Dr. Paul Connett, a world-renowned resource circulation activist and professor emeritus at St. Lawrence University; Shin Woo-yong, Secretary General of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM); Sung Eun-kyung, representative of the Mapo Incinerator Abolition Struggle Headquarters; and Janek Vahk, Pollution Reduction Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe.

Before the discussion, from 2 PM, Dr. Paul Connett will give a lecture on the dangers of waste incineration and fluoridation, as well as waste treatment methods using resource circulation, to help residents better understand the issues.

From 4 PM, a panel discussion on the legitimacy of opposing incinerators and practical alternatives will take place. Environmental activists from various countries will join the discussion online via the Zoom platform, along with on-site participants.

During the discussion, Mayor Park Gang-su will introduce Mapo-gu’s waste reduction policies and vision, and engage in a dialogue with the panelists focusing on opposition to incinerators and resource circulation.

The entire forum will be broadcast live online through Mapo-gu’s official YouTube channel, ‘my MAPO.’

Mayor Park Gang-su of Mapo-gu said, “I hope that in-depth discussions with global environmental experts will lead to practical alternatives and solutions to the construction of additional incinerators. Mapo-gu is actively implementing policies to block the construction of additional incinerators, so I ask for the residents’ keen interest and participation.”