The Real Impact of the Stop Trashing Our Air Act — And What Philadelphia Must Do Next

Philadelphia has a critical opportunity to reshape its waste future. If the Stop Trashing Our Air Act passes — ending the practice of sending much of Philadelphia’s trash to be burned at Chester’s massive incinerator — it will be a major win for public health, environmental justice, and the residents who have carried this burden for decades.

But passing the bill is only step one.

Even if we stop burning waste in Chester, Philadelphia will still be producing the same overwhelming volume of trash. Without upstream interventions that reduce, redesign, repair, and reuse materials before they enter the waste system, we will simply shift costs, move the problem elsewhere, or continue treating disposal as the default solution.

The Real Cost of Trash: It’s Not Just About the City Budget

Opponents of the bill frequently raise concerns about cost. And yes, cost matters. But when officials talk about “cost” solely in terms of the city’s waste-management budget, they ignore the far more significant impacts borne by neighboring communities.

Chester residents face:

• Polluted air and particulate matter

• Elevated exposure to heavy metals and toxins

• One of the highest pediatric asthma rates in the region

• Generations of environmental injustice

According to the bill’s fact sheet:

• 37% of Philadelphia’s trash is burned

• Nearly one-third of the incinerator’s total tonnage comes from Philadelphia

• The incinerator sits inside a community already burdened with some of the highest pollution levels in Pennsylvania

When we talk about “cost,” we must consider the human cost — the one paid by families living downwind.

AECOM’s Testimony Raises Serious Red Flags

Another troubling moment from the hearings was the credibility of the expert testimony presented on behalf of the incineration side. AECOM, a major consulting and engineering firm tied to Covanta/Reworld, was chosen to defend the status quo.

But AECOM’s record raises real concerns:

• Paid $11.8 million to settle False Claims Act allegations related to FEMA billing after Hurricane Katrina

• Faced a class-action lawsuit alleging fraudulent statements and misleading investors

• A former executive’s lawsuit alleging profit inflation and retaliation

• More than $134 million in penalties since 2000, including fraud, wage violations, and safety violations

This is not the profile of a neutral, trusted voice for public-interest decision-making. If the city is going to rely on consultant studies, they must be independent, transparent, and committed to upstream solutions — not rubber-stamping old systems.

So What Needs to Happen Now?

Passing the Stop Trashing Our Air Act is essential, but it must spark a larger transformation in how Philadelphia thinks about materials, waste, and community wellbeing.

1. Invest Upstream: Reduce, Reuse, and Redesign

Philadelphia must prioritize:

• Waste prevention

• Repair and reuse systems

• Reusable packaging

• Local reuse infrastructure

• Circular-economy innovations

Trash should never be created in the first place.

2. Stop Pouring Money Into Repetitive Consultant Studies

Year after year, the city spends heavily on studies that:

• Produce the same mediocre recommendations

• Avoid system-level change

• Delay action with “we’ll study it next year”

We need studies that support reduction and reuse, not disposal.

3. Redirect Waste-Contract Dollars Into Circular Systems

Imagine if funds currently tied up in:

• Hauling

• Incineration

• Disposal

• Remediation

were instead redirected to building:

• Reuse hubs

• Repair programs

• Refillable packaging pilots

• Community drop-off points

• Education and incentives

A Pay-As-You-Throw model could also reduce household waste and reward diversion.

4. Build Reuse and Deposit Return Systems With Local Partners

Philadelphia should partner with organizations like ECHO Systems to pilot:

• Citywide Deposit Return Systems (DRS)

• Bottle bills

• Reusable packaging loops

This is what real circularity looks like.

5. Measure Cost in Health, Clean Air, and Community Impact

A sustainable city protects frontline communities, reduces asthma rates, cleans the air, strengthens public health, and creates green jobs. Dollar-only metrics hide the true impacts.

6. Demand Accountability and No More Delays

Philadelphia cannot keep pushing decisions into the future. Communities downwind are sick now. Environmental injustice is happening now. We need bold action, not incrementalism.

The Vision: A City That Doesn’t Treat Its Neighbors as a Dump

Stopping the burning of Philadelphia’s trash in Chester matters deeply. But the real, long-term victory will come when we build a city that:

• Prevents waste instead of managing it

• Chooses circular systems over linear ones

• Centers community and justice in decision-making

• Invests in reuse instead of incineration

Passing the Stop Trashing Our Air Act is a milestone. What comes next will define Philadelphia’s future.

How You Can Support This Work

If you want to see a Philadelphia that invests in reuse, repair, and community-led solutions instead of incineration, you can help power that shift.