You must have heard of the zero waste movement, descending upon our Western societies in the past few years.
Maybe you're convinced, doing it already, or you might think it's impossible, or not really see the point. Whatever your opinion is, you're not alone.
Evidently, the issue of waste has been at the forefront of policies, governments' strategies and media stories lately. Whether it is about straws that harm marine animals, plastic in birds' stomachs or just beaches covered with crap, you must have heard about plastic pollution, and, more widely, about the problem of waste, generated by us, humans.
Beyond the fact that waste is a problem in itself, the way it is framed also is an issue, and the solutions currently brought forward are not exactly curing anything at all.
Here's why.
1) The concept of waste
The concept of waste is entirely human-made. The notion of waste does not exist in nature: everything is somehow recycled, reused as it is by essence biodegradable and has several purposes, such as vegetation composting or animal faeces decomposing, which will both feed the soil, the plants and the animals all over again. The loop is infinite. However, we are the first species who broke this circle, and created the concept of waste, as in rejecting matter that has no purpose.
THE WASTE WE DON'T SEE
(or not as much in the West. Asia would tell you differently)
Mainly, air pollution. Air pollution comes from the generation of a tremendous amount of GHG emissions (GHG: greenhouse gas: gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation = making the planet warmer) because of fossil fuels extraction, meat-based diets (deforestation and methane), and transport (mainly responsible for NO2 and PM -particulate matters), air pollution is a form of waste. It does exist in nature (i.e, something untouched by humans) but no way near enough not to the point where the planet cannot deal with it anymore. To give you a rough idea -as I am not a scientist, the GHG emissions that were generated before the industrial revolution (1850s: when we discovered how to extract and use oil) was absorbed by forests and the ocean. Today we are generating way too much of it to be dealt with by the planet alone: in 2014, we generated on a global scale 9.795 GTc (giga tonnes) of carbon. 1GT = 1 billion tonnes of carbon. I'll let you count.
So, yes, there is a pollution issue, and pollution is waste, as it just remains in our atmosphere and harms us, animals, biodiversity and our ecosystems.
THE WASTE WE SEE
Here comes plastic and all the likes. Governments and media have mainly been focusing on plastic lately, for a wide range of different reasons. Most probably because it is an actual problem, considering that there are currently 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste on earth out of around 8 billion produced (Billion = 1,000, 000, 000 tonnes), and that plastic waste will outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050, which, as a reminder, is only only 30 years from now. I'll be about 50 when there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean, and personally, it frightens and disgusts me.
But the waste is not only about plastic, even though the latter plays a big role. Waste is also about everything that is just not recycled, or even if recyclable/compostable/biodegradable, ends up in landfill, where it slowly decomposes. By decomposing, it produces a gas called methane which emits fugitive emissions. Methane, in the two decades after it is released (20 years my friend), is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide, therefore, contributing greatly to climate change, much more than CO2 (carbon) emissions for instance. You can learn about it here and here.
2) The way the problem is framed
The aforementioned point brings me to this: we are not tackling the waste issue in an effective manner, at all.
First, we make people - individuals, households, consumers, citizens - feel guilty. The issue is, it is extremely hard, or indeed impossible to be low-waste in a world that really doesn't want you to be. I don't know if you've ever tried not to buy packagings in supermarkets, but it is absolutely unavoidable: I have tried, several times, in many countries, and failed, just because I cannot succeed. So yes, as usual, people (you, I and our neighbours) need to be educated about waste: what is waste, where does it go, why is it a problem. However, very little will change if companies, big and small, do not provide solutions in order to reduce waste dramatically.
Second, there is a problem regarding the way we think about waste and the way recycling is being handled. For example, people feel better when they take a paper bag rather than a plastic one when they go shopping, because it is EITHER biodegradable (capable of being decomposed by bacteria) or compostable (can be thrown in a compost and be decomposed as well but go one step further by providing the earth with nutrients once it is entirely decomposed).
HOWEVER, even if you can buy things that are biodegradable or compostable it is ENTIRELY USELESS if you throw it in the bin. Biodegradable and compostable packaging do not biodegrade if they are not disposed of in the appropriate environment (= compost). Therefore, most of these items will end up in landfill where they will contribute to the production of methane as mentioned earlier. Considering that a paper bag requires a tremendous amount of paper (thanks for figuring that out - you can thank me later), therefore trees, therefore forests, therefore removing carbon sinks (because trees absorb carbon, just like oceans. FYI) the production of a plastic bag, much lighter, is actually better for the environment, from a strictly technical perspective. So think again.
Leyla Acaroglu explains it much better than I do, so go and have a peak: https://www.leylaacaroglu.com/talks/
We make people - individuals, households, consumers, citizens - feel guilty. The issue is, it is extremely hard, or indeed impossible to be low-waste in a world that really doesn't want you to be.
3) The solution brought forward: the circular economy
The circular economy: the answer to our problems.
Well.
No.
But first, let me explain what the circular economy is.
The circular economy is based on being the opposite of a linear economy (the one we're in right now as you guessed -if not, go back to bed), which works on take-make-dispose principles. To draw a rough example, we take oil from the earth, we make it into plastic, and we dispose of it in the oceans. The circular economy, on the other hand, proposes that that we break this circle by recycling, reusing and upcycling everything that we produce, and that we therefore use much less resources in the first place, waste less of it, and everything goes round and round and round and round again.
If you're interested, you can go on the website of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, who introduced the concept of circular economy in the UK: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/overview/concept
Beyond the fact that nothing is new here, and we're just using the a concept that exists in nature since nature exists (yes), the circular economy will not solve our waste issue entirely, far from from it.
- Recycling takes a lot of water and energy. So yes, it undoubtedly saves energy, compared to extracting fossil fuels, transport and transform it. Nevertheless, it is much more efficient not to create waste in the first place. My point is, do not think you're doing something good for the planet by buying all your veggies wrapped in plastic and putting it in the recycling bin afterwards. It's just the tip of the iceberg.
- The circular economy is currently framed within the idea of sustainable/green growth. It means that by recycling and reusing all of the materials we use on earth, we will be able to keep growing our GDP, the amount of stuff we make and buy, and our economies. While this is certainly true to an extent, the circular economy the way it is introduced today is only pushing further away the actual issue: growth, human-wise (9 billion people in 2050 according to the UN) and economic, and the strain it puts on our planet.
Last but not least, here are three EASY tips to considerably reduce your waste:
- Never take a plastic bag when you go shopping (or just try to avoid it as much as you can). When you know you'll go shopping, take several tote bags. And to make sure you never take a plastic bag, always have a tote bag in your actual day-to-day bag. Don't thank me for saving you 5p many times a week.
- Buy a water bottle! Yes, a good one is between 15-25 pounds, but it will last you for years. You can drink water for free, anywhere, anytime. And your water won't be polluted with microplastics which are found in 90% of bottled water.
- Buy your veggies plastic-free. Go to the farmers market or to supermarket-alternatives. Farmers market are usually less expensive and provide seasonal products grown rather locally.
I'll leave you with these wise words. As usual, see the bigger picture: go and be knowledgeable, and think twice next time you put something in the bin.