1. RESOURCE RECOVERY AND MATERIALS FLOW IN THE CITY: ZERO WASTE AND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AS PARADIGMS IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
- Author
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Lehmann, Steffen
- Subjects
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SUSTAINABLE development , *URBANIZATION , *WASTE management , *CLIMATE change , *NATURAL resources , *GLOBAL temperature changes , *GLOBAL warming - Abstract
Waste was once seen as a burden on our industries and communities; however, shifting attitudes and better understanding of global warming and the depletion of resources have led to the identification of waste as a valuable resource that demands responsible solutions for collecting, separating, managing, and recovering. In particular, over the last decade the holistic concept of a “zero waste” lifecycle has emerged as part of a cultural shift and a new way of thinking about the age-old problem of waste and the economic obsession with endless growth and consumption. A global understanding has emerged, which widely accepts that the broad impact of climate change—which includes biodiversity loss: increasing air, water, and soil pollution; deforestation; and a shortage of resources and materials—is a consequence of over-consumption and unsustainable production processes. Emerging complex global issues, such as health and the environment, or lifestyles and consumption, and development require approaches that transcend the traditional boundaries between disciplines. Today, it is increasingly understood that we need to discuss resource-efficiency and resource-recovery in the same way that we currently discuss energy-efficiency. This includes waste minimization strategies and the concept of “designing waste out of processes and product[s].” At the local level, every municipality or company can take immediate action to identify its own particular solutions. Separating recyclable materials, such as paper, metals, plastics, and glass bottles, and consolidating all identified waste categories into one collection point are some basic measures. However, a waste stream analysis should be conducted, involving an inventory of the entire waste composition, measurement of the volumes of different material categories, and their origins and destinations. Municipalities can create databases to track all waste types and to cross reference by facility type, so the amount and type of waste each facility, district, or precinct generates can be identified, thus pinpointing where reductions are most feasible. The concept of “zero waste” directly challenges the common assumption that waste is unavoidable and has no value by focusing on waste as a “misallocated resource” that has to be recovered. It also focuses on the avoidance of waste creation in the first place. In Australia for instance, households throw out approximately five billion dollars of food every year. This raises much wider social questions of attitude and behavior, and has further implications on urban development. How will we design, build, and operate cities in the future? What role will materials flow and waste play in the “city of tomorrow”? How will we better engage sustainable urban development principles and “zero waste” thinking? These are some of the topics discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010