Sustainable Associate
In primary school I was
introduced to the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle. At school and at home, we sorted cans, glass, and cardboard
for recycling. All the messages focused on recycling
with a secondary emphasis on reusing,
and little to no focus on reducing
our waste. Zero Waste is a whole systems approach to waste reduction.
Today, advocates have expanded on
the three R’s and frequently include a variant of the following: redesign,
refuse, and rot.
Redesign: goods should be designed to minimize their
resource use, including packaging. A smart manufacturer should understand that
waste is wasted profit. Though this is corporate responsibility, as consumers
we can ‘vote with our dollars’ and buy long lasting, durable goods.
Refuse: As consumers we should refuse freebies
(pens!), refuse printed receipts (opt for an emailed receipt), and refuse
purchasing products with excessive packaging.
Rot: In lieu of throwing out compostable items,
compost organics and encourage your community to establish curbside compost and/or
biodigesters.
Your compostable waste is packed so tightly
at landfills that it will not decompose. As I continue to learn more about
sustainability and regeneration, I’ve learned it’s not about the last two R’s I
learned about as a kid, but really about the first neglected one: reduce. We need to focus on REDUCE-ing
our resource use to create a truly sustainable society.
Zero Waste, as defined by the
Zero Waste International Alliance, is a means of “designing and managing
products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and
toxicity or waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not
burn or bury them.” The process is similar to that found in nature, wherein
resources aren’t disposed of to never be used again but are truly reused and
recycled into new life.
Last year, following the lead of other
worldwide communities, the city of Fort Collins adopted a Zero Waste plan. The plan focuses on four priorities:
Culture Change: raise awareness!
Reduce and Reuse: those other two R’s we learned in primary
school!
Compostable Organics Out of
Landfills: Rot!
Construction, Deconstruction and
Demolition: divert
debris from construction related activities!
The expansion of the city recycling
requirement for construction projects and the development of a waste management
plan is a move in the right direction. This is addressing the third-R and for
those of us working with the built environment we should look for ways to
promote zero waste throughout the design, construction, operations, and
deconstruction of projects.
As we move
forward we need to adopt zero-waste sensibilities at home, at work, and in the
community. If you follow design blogs and periodicals trend pieces, you are
aware that minimalism and tiny house living are gaining traction and are closely aligned
with zero-waste principles. Many of us are unlikely to achieve the levels of BeaJohnson and her family’s trash reduction
to less than a quart a year or of Beth Terry’s eschewing of plastic from her life, but each
decision in reduction is a move towards a community I want to belong to. Perhaps
Mahatma Gandhi said it best, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
Additional
Resources:
Books:
Connett,
P. (2013). The zero waste solution: untrashing the planet one community
at a time. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Humes,
E. (2012). Garbology: Our dirty love affair with trash. Penguin.
McDonough,
W., & Braungart, M. (2010). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we
make things. MacMillan.
Royte,
E. (2007). Garbage land: On the secret trail of trash. Back Bay
Books.
Blogs
and websites:
Plastic Free
Life by Beth Terry http://myplasticfreelife.com/
Zero Waste
Home by Bea Johnson http://www.zerowastehome.com/
Zero Waste
Fort Collins http://www.fcgov.com/zerowaste/
Movies:
Trashed (2012) documentary with Jeremy Irons
