European waste incineration protests

In late July 2026, residents of Volos, Greece, organized a public assembly to oppose newly issued permits that would allow the AGEL‑HOLCIM cement plant to incinerate up to 200,000 tonnes of waste each year near residential neighborhoods. The coalition of local citizen groups demanded an immediate halt to waste burning, relocation of the plant, and enforcement of a 2023 court ruling that had deemed waste transport unsafe.

A week later, in early August 2026, villagers from Golemo, near the Bobov Dol power plant in the Balkans, staged a rally against a proposal to expand waste incineration at the facility. The plan would raise annual waste burning from roughly 35,000 to 185,000 tonnes and add significant biomass combustion. Protesters warned of heightened emissions of hazardous pollutants and called for the expansion to be rejected, a full environmental impact assessment, and stricter adherence to EU air‑quality standards.

Both incidents illustrate a growing pattern of local communities across Europe mobilizing to challenge government‑approved expansions of waste‑incineration operations, citing health risks, environmental concerns, and legal precedents.