Rethink waste

The way we use our planet’s resources is unsustainable. Renewable resources are consumed faster than they can regenerate. For example, nutrient-rich soil, which takes hundreds of years to form, is being eroded faster than it can be replenished due to intensive farming practices. Not only are we using Earth’s resources at an unsustainable rate, but they are also being wasted. Every year, we produce 2 billion tonnes of household trash, much of which is dumped in landfills or burned, polluting our environment. Included in this waste are finite resources that are being drained and cannot be replenished. Clearly, these actions not only harm our planet but also endanger the future availability of resources. So why does it still happen?

We live in a system where we take raw materials from the Earth, use them or make them into products, and then throw them away when we are finished with them. This linear approach assumes that the Earth has endless resources and can absorb unlimited waste, which is not true. As a result, we waste valuable resources by carelessly discarding materials that are essentially finite and will one day be depleted. For instance, lithium is an extremely useful mineral, used mostly in rechargeable batteries like those in phones and electric cars, and for which demand is increasing. Lithium is also a limited resource, with our current reserves estimated to be depleted by around 2050. At the same time, it is projected that over 75 per cent of lithium mined by 2050 will end up in the garbage. This is a prime example of the linear system in action – depleting lithium reserves while letting the lithium go to waste after it has been used.

Instead of the current linear model, we could adopt a “cradle-to-cradle” approach. Rather than taking materials and wasting them, we use them with care and consideration from the beginning and keep them in circulation. Everything is used to its maximum potential and serves as inputs for other processes, thereby challenging the very concept of waste. Composting, for instance, makes food and other organic materials back into nutrients for the soil. Additionally, since food and organic waste make up 44 per cent of global waste composition, composting could help rejuvenate degraded soils and reduce the overall volume of waste we generate. This applies to other materials too, such as designing modular cell phones made of various independent pieces that can be interchanged, recycled and replaced to extend the phone’s life significantly.

While these are good examples of individual solutions, it will take broader societal changes to achieve a true zero-waste lifestyle. However, some communities are already providing a model for how it can be done.  For instance, the town of Kamikatsu, Japan, has been working since 2003 to eliminate as much waste as possible. The town has a recycling rate of around 80 per cent, in sharp contrast to the national average of 20 per cent. Community members separate waste into 45 categories, some for composting, recycling, reuse or repair. The town also hosts a variety of zero-waste services, including an upcycled clothing store, a free clothing exchange system and a brewery that makes craft beer from agricultural waste.

Realizing that our resources are limited and redesigning processes for longer use are key to building a sustainable future. If we shift from a system that turns Earth’s precious resources into trash to one that treasures them, we can create a world where both people and the environment can thrive. This change is not just possible – it is necessary to keep our planet healthy and sustainable for everyone.