10 Steps to Zero Waste by Dr. Paul Connett

 

This video is approx 60 minutes (broken into 7 parts) and is a portion of the presentation given by Dr. Paul Connett at a public meeting on Zero Waste in February of 2012. The remainder of the presentation (both front and back ends) will be available shortly. Information on the references Dr. Connett speaks about will also be available on this website shortly.

 

Zero Waste: Getting us off the Burn and Bury Path

With limits to our resources and significant concerns about rising GHG largely due to overconsumption, it is clear that there is no more “away.” We need to start looking at the whole road from design – extraction – production – distribution – consumption – disposal. This can no longer be a one-way road.

Zero waste offers a path that mimics nature’s cycles by challenging us to redesign our products and processes to maximize recycling and composting and to minimize waste generation.

Zero Waste is defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance as:… a goal that is both pragmatic and visionary, to guide people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.

The United Nations Urban Environmental Accord established a goal of Zero Waste by 2040. A quickly growing number of businesses, countries, provinces, major cities around the world are adopting the Zero Waste approach to product design and resource management. The City of Whitehorse has created a goal of Zero Waste for 2040 in the Sustainability Plan.

Sound Impossible?

If Whitehorse composted and recycled everything there is currently a market or process for, we would divert 75% of our garbage. That leaves only 25% to be redesigned from the front end so it could ultimately be recycled or composted. This requires bigger systemic change of course, but we can start by maximizing recycling and composting. Note: Businesses that reach 90% diversion are considered Zero Waste, because as some say, it’s Zero Waste or darn near!