Almost zero waste Escalating waste production and new attitudes, approaches, regulation and business models lead many to aim for an almost zero-waste society.

7SQI GSQQIRXEXSVW TVIHMGX XLEX XLI EQSYRX SJ waste, can be just as bad, both for people and for waste being generated will double over the next the planet. twenty years. This is due to increasing population, increasing urbanisation and increasing consumption. The problem is that, with current practices, the world The problem is shared with energy, food and water NYWXGER´XGSTI1ER][SVOWLSTTEVXMGMTERXWWYKKIWXIH supplies because the richer people get, the more that we need to decouple waste generation from XLI]YWI;EWXIMWEPVIEH]XLIWSYVGISJEPQSWX  IGSRSQMGKVS[XL-X´WEGLEPPIRKIXSGLERKITISTPI´W SJXLI[SVPH´WKVIIRLSYWIKEWIWQSWXP]MRXLIJSVQ mindsets but some regions have already introduced of methane from rotting food. However, although major initiatives to both reduce the amount of waste great improvements have been made in dealing with produced and also increase the levels of recycling. it, the importance of waste management has been %X SRI I\XVIQIMR TPEGIWPMOI 7ER *VERGMWGSRI[ low on the collective agenda for too long. technologies are being introduced to automatically WSVXHSQIWXMGXVEWLERHWSVIHYGIPERH½PP-RLMWMRMXMEP 8LI EZIVEKI%QIVMGER XLVS[W E[E] SZIV  OK ZMI[SRXLIJYXYVISJ[EWXI-ER;MPPMEQWWYKKIWXIH SJVYFFMWLIEGL]IEV[LMPIMR)YVSTIIEGLTIVWSR XLEX³MR7[MX^IVPERHXLITVEGXMGISJHSQIWXMGWSVXMRK TVSHYGIWSZIVOKSJHSQIWXMG[EWXIERHXLI of waste has become so culturally ingrained that the HIZIPSTMRK REXMSRW EVI GEXGLMRK YT JEWX &]  country achieves some of the highest recycling rates -RHMERW [MPP FI TVSHYGMRK X[MGI EW QYGL EW XLI] MR XLI HIZIPSTIH [SVPH´ ,S[IZIV WIZIVEP TISTPI do now and Chinese people three times as much. UYIWXMSRXLMWEWEQSHIPJSVSXLIVW³-[SRHIVLS[ On top of this, we generate huge quantities of far this model is transferable to other economies GSRWXVYGXMSRHIFVMWMRHYWXVMEPIJ¾YIRXQMRIXEMPMRKW ERHGYPXYVIW#´³-GERWIIE2SVXL)YVSTIEREHSTXMSR WI[EKIVIWMHYIERHEKVMGYPXYVEP[EWXI(IEPMRK[MXL UYMGOIVXLERER%WMERSRIERHWSUYIWXMSRMXWSZIVEPP it all is a costly exercise: rich countries spend some MQTEGX´ FMPPMSRE]IEVHMWTSWMRKSJXLIMVQYRMGMTEP[EWXI EPSRIERHERSXLIVFMPPMSRSRMRHYWXVMEP[EWXI -RSXLIVTPEGIWIZIRLMKLIVPIZIPWEVIFIMRKEGLMIZIH For instance, some claim that in Mumbai the natural -RERYQFIVSJGSYRXVMIWXLITVMQEV]QIERWSJ[EWXI W]WXIQ SJ HSQIWXMG WSVXMRK XS VEKTMGOIVW SR XLI HMWTSWEP MW PERH½PP ERH QER] WII XLEX XLMW GERRSX GMX]´W HYQTW QIERW XLEX VIG]GPMRK VEXIW XST   GSRXMRYI¯EWMHIJVSQXLIEWWSGMEXIHVMWOWXSLYQER -RSRI1YQFEM[SVOWLSTMX[EWGPEMQIHXLEXXLMW LIEPXLERHXLIPSGEPIRZMVSRQIRXXLIVIWMQTP]MWR´X ½KYVIMWEGXYEPP]RIEVIV 8LEXWEMHRSQEXXIVLS[ IRSYKLPERHXS½PP=IXXLIQEMREPXIVREXMZIFYVRMRK good Mumbai is at collecting its rubbish, its record `8LIJYXYVISJPSGEPMX]

Mumbai model of waste collection. Alternative approaches are needed.

A primary focus of regulatory and governmental attention in many countries has been on waste production by industry. Whether targeting waste HMWGLEVKIMRXSVMZIVWVIG]GPMRKSJOI]QEXIVMEPWHIWMKR for disassembly practices or replacement of multiple plastic components with more sustainable options, industries around the world are being encouraged to improve production processes and reduce waste. ,S[IZIVMRSYV[SVOWLSTWMX[EWIQTLEWMWIHXLEX not enough progress has been made and that, to WYGGIWWJYPP] XEGOPI XLI [EWXI GLEPPIRKI ERH QSZI us to a more balanced system, three primary HIZIPSTQIRXWRIIHXS¯ERHQSWXPMOIP][MPP¯XEOI place over the next decade.

8LI½VWXSJXLIWIMWMQTVSZMRKGSRWYQIVE[EVIRIWW -X MW EVKYIH XLEX IZIR MR WSQI PIEHMRK )YVSTIER countries, our eco-literacy is still very low. Although TPEGIWPMOI%YWXVMEEVIWIIRXSFI[IPPELIEHMRXLMW VIWTIGXXLIVIMWMRKIRIVEPEPEGOSJYRHIVWXERHMRK of the impact that waste has on the environment ERH XLI IGSRSQ] ERH XLI ORSGOSR IJJIGXW SJ MRHMWTSWMRKSJMXMWTSSV(YQTWEVIYRVIKYPEXIHWS transporting and burning waste. As such, we can JSV I\EQTPI XLI GMX]´W FMKKIWX PERH½PP WMXI (ISREV I\TIGXEWMKRM½GERXVEQTMRKYTSJWGLSSPIHYGEXMSR has no measures to control leaching, which means media campaigns and local council initiatives in the XS\MRWEVIEPPS[IHXS¾S[XLVSYKLXLIWYVVSYRHMRK next ten years to nudge people towards behaviour QEVWLIWERHMRXSXLI%VEFMER7IE change. ‘A world where we focus as much on waste TVIZIRXMSREWSR[EWXIXVIEXQIRXMWIWWIRXMEP´ 1YQFEM´W[EWXIGSPPIGXMSRTVSGIWWIJJIGXMZIP][SVOW largely because there are enough poor people 7IGSRHP]XLIQMRHWIXSJQER]MRMRHYWXV]EW[IPPEW prepared to go through the cast-offs of the rich. consumers, will need to shift towards waste being 0SSOMRK JSV[EVH MX MW EVKYIH EW MRHMZMHYEP [IEPXL seen as a resource rather than a by-product. As the increases and the incentives change, the system will cost of dealing with waste escalates, new regulation GLERKIERHTVSFEFP]FIGSQIPIWWIJ½GMIRX'IVXEMRP] around full cradle-to-grave product lifecycles comes few other countries would welcome the current MRXSJSVGIERHWXSVMIWWYGLEW2MOI´WYWISJVIG]GPIH %PQSWX^IVS[EWXI`

The mindset of many in industry, as well polystyrene alternatives which are cast aside and scattered across the platform? as consumers, will need to shift towards waste being seen as a resource rather Thirdly, and arguably most critically, new business models for waste management will come into force than a by-product. SZIV XLI RI\X HIGEHI-R QSWX GSYRXVMIW[EWXI MW seen from a centralised view with big investments MR MRGMRIVEXSVW ERH XLI PMOI 8LI XVSYFPI MW XLEX TPEWXMGWJSVMXW;SVPH'YTWLMVXWKEMRXVEGXMSR both the problem and the solution to better waste QER] WII XLEX E JYRHEQIRXEP VIXLMRO [MPP SGGYV management is one that sits more comfortably in as innovative businesses consider the possible a small and distributed model. Local sorting and opportunities presented by waste materials. While localised reuse are catalysts for major improvements this may start with the more precious materials MR [EWXI QEREKIQIRX FYX XLI ½RERGMEP MRGIRXMZIW in short supply – and therefore be of particular EVIVEVIP]XLIVI)ZIR[LIVIXLIVIEVIMRPSGEXMSRW MRXIVIWXXSXLIIPIGXVSRMGWWIGXSV¯MX[MPPUYMGOP]¾S[ WYGLEW1YQFEM EPPIKIHP] ³GSVVYTXTSPMXMGMERWEVI through into the mainstream world of plastic bottles, supporting the creation of large centralised mixed automotive components and food. waste processing plants that will add complexity, increase cost and reduce the overall system 6IPEXIH *SSH[EWXIMWMRGVIEWMRKP]ERMWWYI-RXLI9/XSHE] IJ½GMIRG]´ insights SZIV   SJ JSSH MW [EWXIH MR XLI 97XLI ½KYVI MWIZIRLMKLIV-RE[SVPH[LIVIJSSHWIGYVMX]ERH Around the world, we heard that this shift towards WYTTP] EVI FIGSQMRK OI] MWWYIW QER] SFWIVZIVW localised business models, ones in which we have argue that a tipping point will be reached where ‘a more intelligent way of managing resources on 4EKI attitudes to waste have to change. One suggestion SYVSZIVEPPFEPERGIWLIIXW´MWFSXLIWWIRXMEPERHMJ in Mumbai was that we should learn from the past ER]XLMRKWMKRM½GERXMWXSVIEPP]GLERKILMKLP]TVSFEFPI ¯[L]RSXVIXYVRXSXLIHE]W[LIVILE[OIVWEXXLI +SZIVRQIRXW ERH VIKYPEXSVW WLSYPH TIVLETW XEOI train station offer tea from clay cups rather than note. 4EKI

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