Who are we?
The Regeneration Not Incineration Campaign is a national campaign led by the Zero Waste Network Aotearoa. It specifically exists to oppose the building of mixed waste incinerators. The campaign started in 2019 with both individuals and representatives of front-line affected community organisations including Westland Not Wasteland, Feilding Against Incineration, Why Waste Waimate, Don’t Burn Waipā, and Don’t Burn Kaipara.
The campaign has received support from organisations including Greenpeace NZ, 350 Aotearoa, Para Kore, Go Eco, the Political Ecology Centre at Massey University, the NZ Product Stewardship Council, Dr Crispin Langston (Waimate GP), Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance, and The Rubbish Trip.
Our campaign exists to:
Encourage the formation of, and provide support to, local community groups to fight incinerator proposals by providing technical, legal and strategic campaigning advice
Create a networking space for community groups to learn from each other and share resources
Build a nationwide movement opposed to waste incineration, with supporting resources to encourage awareness and participation, such as factsheets, submission guides, and a petition
Work with local and central government to influence legislation and policy to disallow waste incineration
Groups & organisations opposing incineration in Aoteaora NZ
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Zero Waste Network Aotearoa
Founded in 2006, the Zero Waste Network (ZWN) is a national, not-for-profit umbrella organization of 130+ members. Our members include community enterprises involved in the promotion or practical implementation of zero waste, waste minimisation, resource recovery/circular economy, environmental education, resource efficiency, resource conservation, local employment and local community development. We deliver resource recovery training to the sector, support community enterprise development, and advocate at the local and national level on issues like increasing the waste levy and mandatory product stewardship. Our members are involved at the frontline of resource recovery and waste minimisation everyday. Collectively, our members employ 1200+ people, recover 32,000+ tonnes of material each year and feed $73+ million dollars back into local economies through our enterprises.
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Para Kore Marae Incorporated
Para Kore is a kaupapa Māori, not-for-profit organisation that provides programmes, wānanga, support, mentoring, resources, and reusable products to marae, whānau, hapū, iwi, groups, entities, and hapori throughout Aotearoa.
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Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance
APPA is a collaborative group of scientists, researchers, educators, lawyers, artists, activists, businesses, community leaders and more working together to end plastic pollution in Aotearoa, Te Moananui-a-Kiwa and beyond, and to restore the mauri of Papatūānuku, Ranginui, Tangaroa, and our taiao. We include and work alongside Tāngata Whenua, local communities, policymakers, and industry to advocate for holistic and effective systemic responses to prevent plastic pollution at the source, while working towards best management and recovery of the pollution already in our world.
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Why Waste Waimate
A community group established in 2021 to stop the building of a waste incinerator in Waimate, South Canterbury. Named “Project Kea” by owners South Island Resource Recovery Limited, this incinerator project was imported over the Southern Alps from the West Coast. Despite being ‘Fast Tracked’ as of February 2025, this project is not proceeding, however, Why Waste Waimate continues to hold the line in case it gets resurrected.
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Don’t Burn Waipā
A committee of the Sustainable Waipa Charitable Trust. The committee was formed to oppose the building of a proposed rubbish burning incinerator in Te Awamutu with a potential lifespan of some 30 years.
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Waimate Doctors
Un unofficial group known which had been vocal in its opposition to the “Project Kea” proposal throughout, led by Waimate GP Dr Crispin Langston.
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No Burn Kaipara
A community-led group from across Northland, taking action against the proposed $730m Kaipara 'waste-to-energy' plant.
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Go Eco
the environment hub in Kirikiriroa/Hamilton that hosts a range of zero waste, climate and community resilience projects.
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Greenpeace Aotearoa NZ
Greenpeace Aotearoa NZ is an independent environmental organisation. It leads the successful campaign against incineration and toxics throughout the 1990s resulting in the total ban on hazardous waste incinerators.
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350 Aotearoa
350 Aotearoa is the New Zealand arm of the international climate movement 350.org, which aims to unite the world around climate change solutions. Our mission is to support a just transition to a community-led renewable energy future by fostering and enhancing a resilient climate movement. We support communities fighting dirty, extractive waste incineration projects in their local community.
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Feilding Against Incineration
Feilding Against Incineration is a community group in Feilding, Manawatū, that strongly opposes the proposal to build a pyrolysis plant in our beautiful town. (not currently active)
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Westland Not Wasteland
Westland Not Wasteland worked towards preventing the establishment in Westland District of a waste-to-energy or waste incineration plant that would take waste from other regions of New Zealand or overseas. (not currently active)